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Why are coasts so important to the subject of Geography?

S.E.E.?
More than 200 countries and
island states have coastlines
12% global population live in
lowland coastal zones (<10m)
33% of coastal regions are at
risk from degradation
40% global population live
within 100km of the coast
UK has 31,368km of coastline
(including main islands)
Todays Key Words
Geology
Classwork 22 September 2017 Tidal currents
Coastal Landscapes and Systems Sediment cells
Littoral Zone
Hydrological Cycle
Rocky coastline
Learning is Successful When I: Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Explain what the littoral zone is High energy
Describe the various parts of the littoral zone Low energy
Coastal plain
Understand the key elements of inputs and Estuary
outputs into the coastal system Sandy
Understand that the coast consists of distinct Relief
zones and there is a variety of different The Wash
coastal types Dorset
Cornwall
Understand that geology plays a key role in Coastal system
the development of our coastline
Coastal Landscapes
Act 1 Coastal Landscapes
Study the four photos. How does the landscape
vary physically?
What physical processes are happening?

Why do they vary?


Act 2 The Littoral Zone

Back to back exercise. In pairs, one


face the front, one face the back.
The zones are of great focus due to the level of
Nearshore
human activity and the level of physical processes
Shallow waters
that operate there; erosion, deposition, transport and
close to land.
mass movement.
Intense human
Backshore above high tide Foreshore Wave activity (fishing &
level, only affected by spring processes confined leisure) and the
tides and major storms. here between the transfer of
high and low tide sediment by
marks. currents.

Littoral Zone The wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the
sea just offshore. It is a dynamic zone of rapid change.
The zones are of great focus due to the level of
Nearshore
human activity and the level of physical processes
Shallow waters
that operate there; erosion, deposition, transport and
close to land.
mass movement.
Intense human
Backshore above high tide Foreshore Wave activity (fishing &
level, only affected by spring processes confined leisure) and the
tides and major storms. here between the transfer of
high and low tide sediment by
marks. currents.

Littoral Zone The wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the sea just offshore.
It consists of backshore, nearshore and offshore zones. It includes a wide variety of coastal types and is a
dynamic zone of rapid change due to the interaction between the processes operating in the seas, oceans
and on land where sediments are moved around.
Littoral Zone
Why a zone?
It is a zone rather than a line because waves, tides and storms affect a wide band
rather than just one place.

Dynamic?
The zone is constantly changing because of the dynamic interaction between the
processes operating in the seas, oceans and on land. It varies because of:

Short / long term factors?


Short-term factors (such as inputs from rivers, individual waves, daily tides and
seasonal storms).
Long-term factors (such as changes to sea levels, climate change or geology).
The littoral zone is one of dynamic
equilibrium, due to the range of
natural processes that interact
within it?

Inputs of sediments from the sea


and currents from rivers flowing
off the land.

Weathering and mass movement


occur on the backshore.

Constructive and destructive


waves occur on the foreshore
and nearshore causing
deposition and erosion.

The tidal range affects all parts


by determining where wave
action takes place.

Offshore currents and longshore


drift may move sediments some
distance along a coast.
Human activities can interfere with these natural processes:

Dredging of rivers to make them deeper for shipping

Dredging of offshore areas to get sand and gravel for construction

Building of coastal defences against erosion and flooding


Act 3: Distinctive Features

In groups of 2 complete a
map from memory
exercise showing the
distinctive features and
landscapes of coasts.
Coastal plains; the land gradually slopes towards the sea across an area of
deposited sediment, with sand dunes and mud flats being the most common
examples. These coasts are sometimes referred to as alluvial coasts. They are
generally found in low energy environments.

Coastal plains often have a blurred


boundary between the land and sea
Arne Bay Salt Marsh & Mudflats
On sandy coastlines, at high tide
beaches are inundated but the
vegetated dunes are not.
On estuarine coastlines, mud flats
are exposed at low tide but
inundated at high tide. Backshore
mudflats are vegetated forming a
saltmarsh.
Discordant coasts are
generated when rock
strata run intersect the
coastline at an angle
Concordant coasts are generated when rock strata run parallel
so geology varies
to the coastline but vary in terms of their resistance to the sea.
along the coast.

Rocky (or cliffed) coastlines, which have cliffs


varying in height from a few to hundreds of metres;
cliffs are formed from rock but the hardness of the
rock is very variable. They are generally found in Discordant example Swanage, Isle of
high energy environments. Purbeck, Dorset

Cliffs create a clear Less resistant rock is eroded quickly


distinction between the first forming bays. Over time bays
Concordant example Lulworth, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset land and sea are more sheltered by the
headlands and waves diffract, which
Portland limestone and Purbeck beds protect softer The transition from lose energy and deposit sediment
landward rocks (Wealden and Gault) land to sea is abrupt forming a beach.
Lulworth cove marine erosion has broken through At low tide the More resistant rock only erodes
the resistant beds, rapidly eroding wide coves foreshore zone is slowly at first forming headlands.
behind. exposed as a rocky Over time the headland is more
At the back of these coves resistant chalk prevents platform exposed and wave refraction takes
further inland erosion. The cliffs may be places, causing energy to be
Broad Bench Cliffs & vertical but cliff concentrated on both sides of the
Wave Cut Platform angles can be much headland forming caves, arches
Kimmeridge Bay lower. and stacks.
Act 4 The
Coastal System
Open/closed system?

Role of rivers?

Driven by wave energy

Half the class annotates


their diagram for a low
energy environment and
the other half for a high
energy environment.

Examples and problems


with classifying as high/low
energy?
The Wash
Weathering and erosion
???

Also responsible for


sediment supply?
Cliff erosion
Tidal currents
LSD
Rivers
Exam Question
6 marks 8 marks

Using examples, explain Referring to examples,


the characteristics of one explain the problems
of high or low energy involved in classifying
coastlines coastlines
Plenary - Classifying coasts and the differences Which are short term
they create? ways?
Geology Rocky, sandy and estuarine, as
Waves?
well as concordant and discordant coasts Tides?
Rivers, and storms?
Formation Primary coasts created by land Which are long term
based processes or secondary coasts
domination by erosion or deposition
ways?
Geology?
Balance Dominant process of erosion and Sea level (climate
deposition. Creates erosional or depositional change, tectonic uplift)
coasts and therefore features.

Energy High or low energy coasts Classify the images from


today?
Tidal range Micro/meso/macro-tidal from
0-4+m

Sea Level Emergent or submergent

Classification is not definitive high energy,


rocky coasts still have stretches of sand and
estuaries (Cornwall) . Similarly, low lying coasts
still have high cliffs (Beachy Head).

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