Glossary Types of Coastline

Coastal Landscapes and Processes

The movement of a wave as it Concordant Coastline with bands of more resistant and less
Swash
approaches the beach. resistant rocks run parallel to the coastline. E.g.
Glossary Glossary A physical process in which material is Lulworth Cove.
Transportation
A rock bridge formed when the moved from one place to another. Discordant Coastline with bands of more resistant and less
Arch sea erodes a hole all the way Fault A fracture or break in rocks A small indentation at the base of a cliff resistant rock run perpendicular (at right angles)
Wave cut notch
through a headland. formed where wave action is greatest. to the coastline. Headlands and bays form here.
The distance a wave has travelled A flat area of rock at the base of a cliff E.g. Swanage Bay.
Wave cut
The movement of a wave down a towards the coastline over open seen at a low tide. It is where the cliff
Backwash Fetch platform
beach, back to sea. water. The longer the fetch the more used to be.
Waves
powerful the wave. The breakdown of rocks by natural
A ridge of sand or shingle (small Weathering processes. It occurs in situ – without Waves are created by wind blowing over the sea. Friction with the surface of the water causes ripples to form,
The different types of rock that
Bar stones and shells) across the Geology moving. which grow into waves.
make up an area.
entrance of a bay or river mouth.
Factors affecting wave size Characteristics of types of waves
Geology
An area of sea, curved in shape A steep sided cliff area of more
Bay which has been eroded between Headland resistant rock jutting out into the Different rock types have varying degrees of resistance to The speed of the wind - a faster Constructive Destructive
two headlands. sea. 1.
physical processes (weathering and erosion). speed means bigger waves. • Low wave height (<1m) • High wave height (>1m)
A sloping area of sand or pebbles Rocks such as clay and sandstone are less • Long wavelength • Short wavelength
between the low and high water An area with unique features that Sedimentary resistant to physical processes, however Wind duration -the longer the wind • Low frequency (<10 • Higher frequency
make it look different from per minute) (>10 per minute)
Beach marks. It is formed when material Landscape chalk is more resistant. 2. has been blowing, the bigger the
surrounding areas (e.g. a coastline or • Low energy • High energy
eroded elsewhere is deposited Rock such as granite and basalt are very wave.
an area of forest). • Flat beach gradient • Steep beach gradient
along the coastline. Igneous
resistant to physical processes. • Depositional • Erosional
The zig-zag motion in which material The fetch of the wind. The greater
A ridge of sediment found Rocks such as slate and schist, tend to be 3. • Stronger swash, weak • Weak swash, stronger
Berm Longshore drift is transported along a beach by Metamorphic the fetch, the bigger the wave.
towards the back of a beach. more resistant than sedimentary rocks. backwash. backwash.
wave action.
A hollow at the base of a cliff Weathering Mass Movement
The movement of material down a
Cave which has been eroded by the Mass Movement
slope due to gravity.
waves.
Plant roots or seeds can find their Pieces of rock fall off the cliff face,
A gently breaking wave with a
way into cracks in the rock. As the Rockfall usually due to freeze-thaw
Constructive strong wash and a weak The direction in which the wind Biological
Prevailing wind plant grows, the rock is forced weathering.
wave backwash. It adds more material blows most frequently. apart.
to the beach than it removes.
Material such as mud, sand and
Coast Land bordering sea. Sediment
pebbles carried by a wave.
Rainwater dissolves some rocks Large volumes of material moves
A ridge of sand or single deposited
A physical process where rocks Chemical (especially limestone and chalk) Landslide downhill very rapidly, in a straight
by the sea. It is attached to the land when it is acidic.
Deposition and material are dropped by the Spit line, along a joint in the rock.
at one end, the other extended into
waves that carry them.
the sea.
A strong wave with a weak swash
Destructive and strong backwash that An isolated column of rock, found at Rainwater enters the rock and
Stack freezes when temperatures drop
wave removes material from the the end of a headland.
at night. In the day, the ice thaws Saturated soil or rock, collapses in a
coastline. Physical
and more water can flow into the Slumping rotational movement, down a
A physical process which involves A short piece of rock found at the space. As the process repeats, curved slope.
Erosion the wearing away and removal of Stump end of a headland formed after a pieces of rock breaks off.
material by a wave or river. stack has collapsed.
 Transport Processes Transport Processes – Longshore Drift
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
Size of Material • Material moves along the coastline by a process called
When minerals in rocks like chalk longshore drift.
and limestone are dissolved in sea Smallest • Waves approach the coast at an angle because of the
Erosional Processes Solution
water and then carried in direction of prevailing wind.
solution. The load is not visible. • The swash will carry the material towards the beach at an
This is the sheer power of the waves as they smash
Hydraulic angle.
against the cliff. Air becomes trapped in the cracks
Action • The backwash then carries material down the slope of the
in the rock and causes the rock to break apart Small particles such as silts and
beach at right angles, back towards the sea.
Suspension clays are suspended in the flow of
This is when pebbles grind along a rock platform, • Over time, the process repeats and material moves in a
the water.
Abrasion much like sandpaper. Over time the rock becomes zig-zag motion along the coast.
smooth.
This is when rocks that the sea is carrying knock Where small pieces of shingle or
against each other. They break apart to become Saltation large sand grains are bounced
Attrition along the sea bed.
smaller and more rounded.

This is when sea water dissolves certain types of Where pebbles and larger
Solution rocks. In the UK, chalk and limestone cliffs are Traction material are rolled along the
seabed. Largest
prone to this type of erosion.

Erosional Landform – Wave Cut Platform Erosional Landform – Caves, Arches, Stacks and Stumps Erosional landform – Headland and Bays

1.Cracks and faults are widened in the headland through the erosional processes of Headlands and bays form along discordant
hydraulic action and abrasion. coastlines. The less resistant rock (e.g. clay) is Depositional Landforms
eroded quickly and this forms a bay. The more
resistant rock (e.g. chalk) is eroded slower and Beaches are made up from
2. As the waves continue to grind away at the crack, it begins to open up to form
sticks out into the sea, forming a headland. eroded material that has
a cave.
been transported from
elsewhere and then
3.The cave becomes larger and eventually breaks through the headland to form Deposition
deposited by the sea.
an arch.
waves starting to slow down and lose
A spit is an extended stretch
4.The base of the arch continually becomes wider through further erosion, until its energy.
of sand or shingle jutting out

Factors leading to
roof becomes too heavy and collapses into the sea.
sheltered areas, e.g. bays. into the sea from the land.
Spits occur when there is a
5.This leaves a stack (an isolated column of rock).

deposition:
little or no wind. change in the shape of the
landscape or there is a river
1.The sea attacks the base of the cliff between the high and low 6. The stack is undercut at the base until it collapses to form a stump. mouth. (see formation of
shallow water.
water mark. Spit box)

2.A wave-cut notch is formed by erosional processes such as Deposition landform - Formation of a Spit Sometimes a spit can grow
abrasion and hydraulic action - this is a dent in the cliff usually at the across a bay to join
1. Sediment is carried by longshore drift. two headlands together.
level of high tide.
2. When there is a change in the shape of the This landform is known as
coastline, deposition occurs. a bar. Bars can trap shallow
3.As the notch increases in size, the cliff becomes unstable and
3. A long thin ridge of material is deposited. lakes behind the bar - these
collapses, leading to the retreat of the cliff face.
This is the spit. are known as lagoons.
4. A hooked end can form if there is a change
4.The backwash carries away the eroded material, leaving a wave -
in wind direction. A tombolo is a spit.
cut platform. A flat area of rock at the base of the cliff seen at a low
5. Waves cannot get past a spit, therefore the connecting an island to the
tide.
water behind a spit is very mainland
sheltered. Silts are deposited here to form
5.The process repeats. The cliff continues to retreat.
salt marshes or mud flats.
 Coastal Defences
Coastal Landscapes and Processes
Sea defence Description How it works Advantages Disadvantages
Tier 3 vocabulary
Coastal recession The gradual movement backwards of the coastline.
(retreat) Seawall Curved concrete walls built Deflects the waves back out to sea. Effective at protecting cliff base for Expensive to build – approx. £6,000 per metre.
at the base of the cliff. many years. Visually displeasing.
Coastal flooding The inundation of land close to the sea by seawater. Promenades for people to walk along. Can make beach inaccessible.

Storm surge A sudden rise in sea level during a storm event. The storms produce
strong winds that push huge volumes of water into shore, which can
lead to coastal flooding.
Rock armour Large igneous boulders Absorbs the energy of the wave. Effective protection for many years. Boulders are expensive to transport.
Soft-engineering A method of coastal management which works or attempts to work
(Rip-rap) piled at the base of the cliff. Relatively cheap and easy to maintain. Can make beach inaccessible.
with the natural processes occurring on the coastline. It seeks to
Boulders look different to local geology.
change the land in a more environmentally sustainable way.

Hard-engineering A method of coastal management which involves major construction –

Hard-engineering
the building of artificial defences, usually out of concrete to interrupt
natural processes.
Groynes Wooden (or rock) structures Traps sediment to broaden the beach. Quick to construct. Interrupts the movement of sediment along
built at right angles to the The built up beach will then absorb wave Makes the beach wider, which can the coast and deprives beaches further along
Impacts of coastal flooding and recession beach. energy. attract more tourists. the coast of sand, making them narrower.
Prevents longshore drift. Rock groynes can be unsightly.
Coastal Social Disruption to gas and electricity supplies.
flooding Transport networks destroyed.

Environmental Crops ruined by sea water. Trees and vegetation washed

away.
Forming of new habitats due to inundation of flood water.
Offshore reefs Blocks of concrete, natural Offshore reefs alter wave direction and They allow the build-up of sand to Difficult to install.
Coastal Social Decreasing value of properties and difficulty obtaining boulders or even old tyres dissipate wave energy. occur because they reduce wave Expensive to build – approx. £2, 000 per metre.
recession insurance. that are sunk offshore. Interferes with longshore drift. energy.
Loss of businesses (farmland, caravan parks, cafes, golf
courses) from disappearing cliffs.

Environmental Wildlife habitats destroyed.

Beach Sand or shingle is added to The beach can absorb more wave energy Provides beach for tourists. Requires constant maintenance as material is
nourishment the beach to make it wider. and protect the coastline. Looks natural and is aesthetically washed away, which can become costly.
Environmental Agency coastal management strategies pleasing.

Strategy Description
Soft-engineering

No intervention No planned investment in defending against flooding or erosion.

Managed Controlled flooding of low- Reduces the volume of water available Low cost strategy. Land is lost as it is reclaimed by the sea.
Hold the line Maintain the existing shoreline by building defences. retreat lying coastal areas of low to flood other built up areas of land Creates a salt marsh which can Landowners need to be compensated –
value e.g. farmland. containing buildings and houses. encourage wildlife. approx. £5,000- £10,000 per hectare.
Managed Allow the shoreline to change naturally, but oversee and direct the
re-alignment process.

Advance the line Build new defences on the seaward side.