Coastal Geography

This course gives a fundamental understanding to coastal geography. Topics discussed include fundamental geology, coastal processes, landforms, and management, featuring diagrams and images to aid understanding.

This course gives a fundamental understanding to coastal geography.  Topics discussed include fundamental geology,  coastal processes, landforms, and management, featuring diagrams and images to aid understanding.     

A number of forces help to create coastlines, including heat, pressure, weathering and erosion. Rocks may be Igneous, Sedimentary or Metamorphic. This simple image illustrates these processes at work.

What separates Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic rock types? This MindMap distinguishes between the formation of these types as well as describing some of their characteristics.

This module takes a more detailed look at some rock types. These are Granite and Basalt (Igneous), Chalk and Sandstone (sedimentary), and Schist and Slate (Metamorphic).

All you need to know about Granite, Sandstone, Basalt, Chalk, Slate and Schist in this easy to follow study note to help with geography learning.

rock types classes of rocks

Flashcards to help remember the key terms associated with weathering and erosion. These include variations such as mechanical, chemical and biological weathering, as well as abrasion and attrition as factors in erosion.

These notes examine the processes involved in both freeze-thaw weathering and also in exfoliation. Over a sustained period, these events can radically alter a landscape.

The dynamic water activity can greatly change the coastal rock which rests beside the sea. Some coastlines are concordant and some are discordant. Longshore drift and transportation help shape these landscapes.

Beaches can vary greatly, as well as the other features of coastline. These include caves and stacks; spits and bars. These features give a coast a personality. Sand formation can be the difference between a beautiful beach and one that can disappear.

Human intervention is sometimes necessary to prevent the catastrophic destruction of a coastline. There are a number of tools available such as sea walls, groynes and gabions.

Flooding and coastal recession can be devastating to local communities. Coastal realignment and managed retreat are two types of large scale coastal engineering projects.

Revise what you have learned on this course on coastal landforms and processes. Take this quiz to see what you have learned.