coasts

Coastal Landscapes and Change

• Enquiry question 1: Why are coastal landscapes different and what
• processes cause these differences?
• 2B.1 The coast, and wider littoral zone, has distinctive features and landscapes.
• a. The littoral zone consists of backshore, nearshore and offshore
• zones, includes a wide variety of coastal types and is a
• dynamic zone of rapid change.
• b. Coasts can be classified by using longer term criteria such as
• geology and changes of sea level or shorter term processes
• such as inputs from rivers, waves and tides.
• c. Rocky coasts (high and low relief) result from resistant geology
• (to the erosive forces of sea, rain and wind), often in a high-
• energy environment, whereas coastal plain landscapes (sandy
• and estuarine coasts) are found near areas of low relief and
• result from supply of sediment from different terrestrial and
• offshore sources, often in a low-energy environment.

Slide 2

• a. The littoral zone consists of backshore, nearshore and offshore
• zones, includes a wide variety of coastal types and is a
• dynamic zone of rapid change.

Slide 3

• b. Coasts can be classified by using longer term criteria such as geology and changes of sea level or shorter term processes
• such as inputs from rivers, waves and tides.

Slide 4

• c. Rocky coasts (high and low relief) result from resistant geology (to the erosive forces of sea, rain and wind), often in a high-energy environment, whereas coastal plain landscapes (sandy and estuarine coasts) are found near areas of low relief and
• result from supply of sediment from different terrestrial and
• offshore sources, often in a low-energy environment.
• high energy coastlines - rocky coast - stretches of atlantic-facing coast - rate of erosion exceeds the rate of deposition - erosional landforms: headlands, cliffs and shoreline platforms - cornwall or north-western scotland
• low energy coastlines - sandy estuarine coasts - where waves are less powerful - sheltered from large waves - rate of depostion exceeds the rate of erosion - landfroms: - beaches, spits, coastal plains - linconshire and northumberland
• types of rock