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What is a coast?
A coast is the zone where the land and the sea meets
wave motion
FETCH
SWASH
The white foamy water that rushes up the coast is called SWASH The SWASH carries the materials up the coast. The friction and the pull of gravity then cause the water to flow back towards the sea.
BACKWASH
The flow back to the sea after the wave have broken is called BACKWASH. The backwash will carry some material back to the sea.
CONSTRUCTIVE WAVES
CONSTRUCTIVE WAVES
Constructive waves are low energy waves that deposit materials on a coast. As the waves approach such as coast, the friction between the waves and the sea bed causes the waves to slow down at some distance from the coast. The waves break gently over a long distance. Swash is powerful than backwash, the more materials are carried up and deposited on the coast than are removed. Over time, the coast is built up.
DESTRUCTIVE WAVES
DESTRUCTIVE WAVES
Destructive waves are high energy waves that s erode a coast . They are common along steep sloping coasts where they are break with a great force over a short distance. The backwash of the waves is more powerful than the swash. More materials are removed than are deposited on the coast. Over time , the coast is eroded away.
CURRENTS IN ACTION
What is Current? Currents are flows of water that move either horizontally or vertically in a certain direction. Currents such as longshore currents help to shape the coast. What is Longshore current? Longshore currents are water that flow parallel to a coast and are formed by waves that approach the coast at an angle. Longshore currents are important in transporting amount of materials can build up the coast.
Winds in action
Winds form waves and longshore current which shape the coast. Winds can change the coast too. For example, wind transport sand and deposit them along the coast to form certain features.
Hydraulic action
When waves hit the coast repeatedly, they weaken the rocks, break them and carry them away. Water enters the rock lines of weakness such as joints and fault. The air inside the rocks become trapped and is compressed by the water. The compressed air exerts pressure on the joints and faults and when the waves return to the sea, there is a sudden release in pressure. The rock expands with great force and widen the joint and faults. Repeating process of expansion and compression eventually cause the rocks to break into smaller pieces.
HYDRAULIC ACTION
CORRASION/ABRASION
When materials are carried by waves are thrown repeatedly against the coast. They are gradually erode the coast.
ATTRITION
When materials are carried away , they collide with one another. Eventually, the materials break down into smaller pieces and become smoother and more rounded over time.
SOLUTION
Water in the waves reacts chemically with the soluble minerals in the rocks along the coast and dissolves them. Limestone coast when react with seawater dissolves.
EROSIONAL FEATURES
CLIFFS AND WAVE-CUT PLATFORMS HEADLAND AND BAYS CAVES, ARCHES AND STACKS
WAVE CUT PLATFORM - A gently sloping rock surface which extends towards the sea from the foot of the cliff.
The sediment is picked up again by the next wave and carried up and then down the coast again. This repeated zig zag movement of the sediment shifts the sediment along the beach. A long shore drift is the movement of sediment along the coast when waves approach the coast at an angle
Depositional features
Beaches Offshore bars Spits and tombolos Coastal dunes
Offshore bar
Off shore bar is a long narrow ridge of deposited materials sand can be found lying away from and parallel to a coast.
2. As the longshore drift enters the deep water, the materials are deposited. Over time, these materials accumulate above the water to form a spit. 3. The spit continues to grow with the continuous deposition of materials. 4. The spit join a nearby island to the mainland to form a tombolo.
Coastal Dunes
A coastal dune is a ridge of sand that is piled up by the wind on the coast.
Port Activities
Coasts which are sheltered from storms and have deep waters in which ships can anchor are suitable for development as PORT. Some are strategic location and accessible by different sea routes. Examples the port of Singapore and the port of Yokohama in Japan.
Tourism
Some coast are attractive to holiday makers. Coasts which have crystal clear water, long stretches of wide sandy beaches and have beautiful coral reefs often developed as beach resort. Examples of coasts Pulau Langkawi & Phuket Some coast have interesting features as headland, caves , arches, stack and cliffs. Example Twelve Apostles in Victoria, Australia
Land reclamation
Land reclamation where land is in short supply, people may create additional land along the coast. Such as in Singapore and the Netherlands. These land are used for farming activities such as cattle rearing and cultivation of crops such as wheat and barley. Apart from that also, they use it as settlement consist of farmhouse, villages, towns and cities.
Coastal Problems
Flooding and erosion are two common problems along the coastal area. These problems effect both the environment and people. As the result of this, the coastline retreat inland and the coast become unsuitable for settlement, tourism and industry.
Coastal Erosion
One measure taken place to protect the coast from erosion is to build structures such as seawall, breakwaters and groynes.
Seawalls
Is built on and parallel to a coast. It protects the stretch of the coast behind it by reflecting waves away from the coast.
Sea walls
breakwaters
Built with one end and attached to the coast. Protect the coast by breaking the force of oncoming waves at some distances
breakwaters
groynes
Are built at right angle to the coast . Groynes interupt the longshore drift and causes materials to deposit on side of the groynes facing the longshore drift.
Groynes