Waves, winds, currents, tides, and storms are the major forces on the coastline. The results of these actions and interactions by natural forces on the shoreline and near-shore seabed are coastal processes, which include erosion and deposition.
Explore our app and discover over 50 million learning materials for free.
Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persönlichen Lernstatistiken
Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenNie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen.
Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenWaves, winds, currents, tides, and storms are the major forces on the coastline. The results of these actions and interactions by natural forces on the shoreline and near-shore seabed are coastal processes, which include erosion and deposition.
There are several factors involved in coastal erosion and deposition. The main processes are:
Waves are the primary drivers in shaping coastlines. Destructive waves (waves that have a stronger backwash) are the most common types of waves that cause erosion . These waves occur during stormy conditions and are characterised by big, strong waves that have high energy. Constructive waves (with a limited backwash) occur during calmer weather, have low energy, and cause deposition rather than erosion. Because of their characteristics, destructive waves can erode the coastlines in several ways:
The principle marine processes responsible for shaping the coastline are erosion , transportation , and deposition. Erosion is where the force of waves breaks down the land. Transportation is when waves and tides transfer the broken material somewhere else. Meanwhile, deposition is when waves and tides lose their energy, cease transporting the eroded material, and deposit it. Each coastline has its balance between the processes of erosion, transportation, and deposition.
Erosional coastal formations include:
When waves no longer have any energy left to transport the sediment, deposition occurs. What features are formed by the sediment will depend on how and where the sediment is deposited.
Depositional coastal formations include:
The energy provided by waves, tides, and currents transport the eroded material. There are four main processes involved in sediment transportation:
These processes can transport sediment along the shore; this is known as longshore drift or littoral drift .
Sediment is moved along the coast in sediment cells. Within each cell, the sediment moves between the beach, cliffs, and the sea through the process of erosion, transportation, and deposition. Any action taken in one place has an impact elsewhere in the cell. Each cell operates between physical barriers that prevent the sediment from moving any further along the coast. There are 11 principal cells along the coastline of England and Wales.
Sub-aerial processes are land-based processes that alter the shape of the coastline. The main sub-aerial processes are weathering and mass movement.
The gradual breakdown of rocks in situ at or close to the ground surface is known as weathering. This can be divided into three different types - mechanical, chemical and biological.
Types of Weathering | |
---|---|
Mechanical (physical) | Freeze-thaw (frost shattering) Salt weathering (salt crystallisation) Wetting and drying (sea weathering) |
Chemical | Carbonation |
Biological | Plants WaterMicrobes |
This is the movement of materials downslope at a range of speeds. Water acts as the common lubricant involved in mass movement.
Types of mass movement are:
Soil creep
Solifluction
Earth and mudflows
Rock falls
Rock / debris slides
Slumps
Constructive and destructive waves are the primary drivers in shaping the coastline.
Constructive waves are depositional.
Destructive waves are erosive.
Destructive waves can erode the coastlines through hydraulic action, corrosion, attrition, abrasion, and corrosion.
The four main processes involved in transporting material are solution, saltation, suspension, and traction.
The sub-aerial processes involved in shaping the coastline are weathering and mass movement.
Both coastal erosion and deposition are caused by the action of waves. There are two main types of waves responsible for this, destructive waves and constructive waves
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land by destructive waves, currents, and wind. As a result of coastal erosion, the shoreline will retreat causing land loss. Globally, this is a massive issue. Deposition happens when the sea loses energy and it drops the sand, rock particles, and pebbles it has been carrying. Constructive waves are responsible for this as the swash is stronger than the backwash.
The four processes of coastal erosion are corrosion, abrasion, attrition, and hydraulic power.
The most significant danger to coastal areas comes from natural events such as hurricanes, coastal storms (storm surge), tsunamis, and landslides (mass movement), as well as longer-term risks of coastal erosion and sea-level rise.
The negative effects of coastal erosion are the damage it can cause to transport and infrastructure through storm surges and mass movement. In addition, changes to the soil structure result from seawater contaminating the farming land through flooding, causing economic loss and the destruction of property.
Waves are responsible for shaping the coastline. There are two types: what are they?
Constructive and destructive waves.
What are the characteristics of a constructive wave?
They have a low frequency and a weak backwash.
What are the characteristic of a destructive wave?
They are high and deep, have a high frequency and they have a strong backwash and a weak swash.
Erosional coastal formations include what?
Headlands and bays, Cliffs and wave-cut platforms, Stacks and stumps, and Shoreline platforms
Depositional coastal formations include what?
Spits, beaches, offshore bars and tombolos, cuspate forelands, salt marshes, estuarine mudflats, and sand dunes.
There are four processes whereby the waves transport material; what are they?
Solution, saltation, suspension, and traction.
Already have an account? Log in
Open in AppThe first learning app that truly has everything you need to ace your exams in one place
Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.
Save explanations to your personalised space and access them anytime, anywhere!
Sign up with Email Sign up with AppleBy signing up, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy of StudySmarter.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
The first learning app that truly has everything you need to ace your exams in one place
Already have an account? Log in