Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Coastal Landforms
Coastal Landforms
Coastal Landforms
Coastal Landforms
1. Coastal Processes
The coastal system constantly acts upon the coastline, shaping it through processes such as erosion, deposition and sub-aerial processes. These three processes are often confused, but they are different and have different consequences on the shape and formation of the coastline.
Term
Erosion
Rhys Wall The rate at which a coastline is eroded depends on several factors: 1. The presence and width of a beach. Beaches protect coastlines from erosion by slowing waves down, so a large beach with a long distance between the low and high tide marks will offer more protection. The beach may also cause the waves to break earlier. 2. The aspect. This is the direction the coastline faces. If the coast faces the dominant wind and wave direction, it is clear that rate of erosion will be higher. 3. The fetch of the waves. Waves with a longer fetch (distance over which they have travelled) are generally higher and steeper, so will have more energy and will cause more erosion. 4. The rock type. Hard rocks, like granite, are more resistant, so will erode slower than soft rocks, like boulder clay.
2. Types of Coastline
Coastlines can generally be sorted into two categories concordant and discordant. Although any one part of the coastline may not fit exactly into these categories due to the complex nature of geology, it is helpful to think of it as simply as possible. A concordant coastline (right) is one which has bands of alternating hard and soft rock running parallel to the coastline.
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A discordant coastline (left) is one which has bands of alternating hard and soft rock running perpendicular (at right angles) to the coastline.
A good way to remember which way around they go is to think that coves form on concordant coastlines (explained later).
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3. Types of Wave
There are two main types of wave constructive, and destructive. Constructive waves (right) are responsible for the construction of depositional features. They can be identified by their low, long appearance and low frequency typically 6 to 8 per minute. Their swash is weaker than their backwash, so they deposit sediment. Destructive waves (left) are responsible for forming erosive landforms. They are steep, high waves with a higher frequency about 10-14 per minute. They have a more powerful backwash than swash, so erode sediment.
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1. The foot of the cliff is eroded by the action of the sea, undercutting it. 2. A wave-cut notch (indentation into the foot of the cliff) is formed. The overlying rock is weathered and weakened. 3. The overlying rock gives in to the force of gravity and collapses. The rock falls into the notch and forms a flat platform as it is eroded. Over time this process will lead to the retreat of the cliff.
6. Coves
Coves are a less common coastal landform. They are found on concordant coastlines. 1. A fault in the hard rock (caused by sub aerial processes) suffers from high intensity erosion over time. 2. The fault grows larger and larger until it breaks through to the band of soft rock. 3. The soft rock becomes eroded much quicker than the hard rock, so a circular shape cove is formed. 4. Since the cove is so sheltered, waves are likely to be constructive within the cove, so a beach may be built up over time.
Wind and Waves Wind and Waves
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SEA
Spits are formed when the direction of longshore drift pushes sediment into an estuary or a bay. 1. Waves approach the beach at an angle. 2. Longshore drift moves sediment into a river estuary. The sediment forms a spit. 3. The stagnant water behind the spit develops into mudflats and salt marshes. 4. The original coastline is now protected from erosion by a spit and salt marsh. 5. Water in the river channel ends its course by flowing through the estuary. 6. The end of the spit is recurved at the end by occasional changes in the wind and wave direction. The spit continually grows further into the channel. 7. The fastest flow of water from the river is in the middle of the channel. The erosive power of river prevents the spit from reaching the other side of the river mouth. A bar would be formed if the spit reached the other side of the mouth, or bay, with a lagoon behind it. 5
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8. Tombolos
1. The process of longshore drift transports sediment along a beach. 2. A spit forms, coming off of the headland. 3. Eventually, as the spit grows, it joins up with an offshore island, connecting it to the mainland.
1. A fault or joint occurs naturally in the cliff, or one is formed by sub aerial processes. 2. A blow hole may form if water rushes up the joint, causing high hydraulic pressure, which causes the roof of the cliff to collapse. 3. A sea cave is formed when the area around joints are eroded. 4. An arch is formed when a sea cave is eroded through to the other side of the headland. 5. The sides of the arch are eroded, and the force of gravity causes the arch roof to collapse. 6. An isolated stack is formed when the arch roof collapses. 7. The top of the stack is eroded and weathered, until it is no longer exposed at high tide it is now called a stump. 6
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10.
Beaches
Beaches are a depositional feature found almost everywhere along our coastline. They play an important role in protecting our coastal settlements from cliff retreat and for the tourism industry.
1. Constructive waves deposit sediment on the shoreline. 2. If the sediment is large, a pebble beach with a steep, narrow profile will accumulate. If the sediment is small, a sandy beach will form. Sandy beaches normally have a wider, flatter profile. Beaches can have a combination of these sediment sizes and features. 3. Berms (1-2 metre high ridges of sand and pebbles) may form at the high tide mark. Theyre formed when coarse material is deposited by the swash. 4. Runnels are grooves in the beach material that run parallel to the shoreline. Theyre formed when the backwash erodes sediment as is drains into the sea. 5. A cusp is a crescent shaped indentation into the shoreline which forms when there is a large tidal range and waves break parallel to the beach.
11.
Sand Dunes
1. The wind blows sand particles up the beach. 2. The particles begin to accumulate in berms or on driftwood. 3. Plants like marram grass colonise. 4. The roots of the plants support and stabilise the dune, encouraging more sediment to accumulate. 7
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12. Landform
UK Example
Very common found along almost Britains entire coastline. The Eastern end of Exmouth Beach.
Headlands and bays Wave cut notches and wave cut platforms Coves Spits and bars Tombolos Caves, blowholes, arches, stacks and stumps
Lulworth Cove, Dorset. Spit Spurn head, Holderness. Bar Netherfield Lagoons, Nottinghamshire. St Michaels Mount, Cornwall. Cave Many, scattered around our coastline. Blowhole Wheal Coates, Cornwall. Arch Durdle door, Dorset. Stack Old Harry, Swanage. Stump Old Harrys wife, Swanage. Everywhere along the coast! (nearly). Exmouth, Devon. Dawlish Warren, Devon.