THE GEOGRAPHER ONLINE

  • Home
    • How to make a website: Tools and experiences
    • Maps and Regions
    • Travel Photographs and Videos
    • Live: Global Hazards and Disasters
    • Geography in the news
    • The Big Geography Challenge
  • New IB Geography 2017 onwards
    • IB Geography Introduction
    • Part 1: Geographical Themes >
      • Option B: Oceans and coastal margins >
        • 1. Ocean–atmosphere interactions
        • 2. Interactions between oceans and coastal places
        • 3. Managing coastal margins
        • 4. Ocean management futures
      • Option D: Geophysical Hazards >
        • 1. Geophysical systems
        • 2. Geophysical hazard risks
        • 3. Hazard risk and vulnerability
        • 4. Future resilience and adaptation
    • Part 2: Core Units (SL&HL) >
      • Unit 1: Changing Population >
        • 1. Population and economic development patterns
        • 2. Changing Populations and Places
        • 3. Challenges and opportunities
      • Unit 2: Global climate—vulnerability and resilience >
        • 1. Causes of global climate change
        • 2. Consequences of global climate change
        • 3. Responding to global climate change
      • Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security >
        • 1: Global trends in consumption
        • 2: Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption
        • 3: Resource stewardship
    • Part 3: HL Core Extensions >
      • Unit 4: Power, places and networks >
        • 1. Global interactions and global power
      • Unit 5: Human development and diversity
      • Unit 6: Global risks and resilience
    • Internal Assessment
    • Why should I study IB Geography?
  • IB Geography (Old Syllabus)
    • IB Core >
      • 1. Populations in Transition
      • 2. Disparities in Wealth and Development
      • 3. Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability
      • 4. Patterns in Resource Consumption
    • Part 1: Geographical Themes >
      • Oceans and their Coastal Margins
      • Hazards and disasters - risk assessment and response
      • Freshwater - issues and conflicts
      • Urban Environments
    • Global Interactions - HL >
      • Measuring Global Interactions
      • Changing Space - The Shrinking world
      • Economic Interactions and Flows
      • Environmental Change
      • Sociocultural Exchanges
      • Political Outcomes
      • Global Interactions at the Local Level
    • IB Guidance >
      • Syllabus Guidance
      • IB Examination Guidance
    • Extended Essay
  • IGCSE Geography
    • Theme 1: Population and settlement >
      • Population Dynamics
      • Migration
      • Settlements
      • Urban Settlements
      • Urbanisation
    • Theme 2: The natural environment >
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Coasts
      • Rivers
      • Weather and Climate
      • Climate and Ecosystems
    • Theme 3: Economic development >
      • Development
      • Food Production
      • Industry
      • Energy
      • Tourism
      • Water
      • Environmental Risks of Economic development
    • GCSE Key Terms
    • GCSE Coursework
    • Alternative to Coursework
    • IGCSE Geography Examination Advice
    • IGCSE Revision Games
  • Key Stage 3
    • Year 6 >
      • My Place
      • Rivers
      • Brazil
    • Year 7 >
      • Maps and the world
      • Rocky Landscapes
      • Settlement
      • Weather & Climate
    • Year 8 >
      • Maps Introduction
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Economic Activity
      • Biomes
    • Year 9 >
      • Map Skills - review
      • Development
      • Coasts
      • Tourism
      • Paradise lost - Tourism in Thailand
  • AS Level Geography
    • World at Risk
    • Crowded Coasts
  • Geography Skills
  • Donations & Contact
  • YouTube Channel
  • Essential computer programs

Coasts

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Waves

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Answer the following questions:
  1. What are waves?
  2. How do they form?
  3. What factors control wave size?
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  • Crest: The top of the wave.
  • Trough: The low area in between two waves.
  • Wavelength: The distance between two crests or two troughs.
  • Wave height: The distance between the crest and the trough.
  • Wave Frequency: The number of waves per minute.
  • Velocity: The speed that a wave is traveling. It is influenced by the wind, fetch and depth of water.
  • Swash: The movement of water and load up the beach.
  • Backwash: The movement of water and load back down the beach.

Types of waves

Constructive

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Constructive Waves
Small oceans with small fetch develop constructive waves. Constructive waves have low wave height and long wave length with low frequency, between 6 and 8 waves per minute. Constructive waves are associated with weak backwash and strong swash, which builds up wide flat beaches and so more associated with coasts of deposition. Constructive waves also tend to form sandy beaches.

Destructive

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Destructive Waves
Large oceans with large fetch produce large waves, called destructive waves. These waves have large wave height and short wave length and are characterised by tall breakers that have high downward force and a strong backwash. They have high frequency, between 13 and 15 waves per minute. This downward energy helps erode cliifs. In addition, due to a dominant backwash they erode the beach making for narrow steep beach profiles. Localised storms with high wind speed also form destructive waves as well as steep depth gradients around headlands. Destructive waves also tend to form pebbly beaches.

Marine Processes

Erosion

Four Types of Coastal Erosion:


Hydraulic action (pressure): This is when sea water and air get trapped in cracks. The increasing pressure of the water and air cause the rocks to crack. It can also be the shear force of the wave pounding on the coast.

Corrasion (abrasion): Rocks been thrown into the cliffs by waves and breaking off bits of the cliff.

Corrosion (solution): The slight acidity of sea water causing bits of the cliff to dissolve.

Attrition: Rocks, sand and stones being thrown into each other by the sea current and waves.
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Marine Transportation

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  • Solution - minerals are dissolved in the water and carried along in solution.
  • Suspension - fine light material is carried along in the water.
  • Saltation - small pebbles and stones are bounced along the sea bed.
  • Traction - large boulders and rocks are rolled along the sea bed.
Longshore Drift (LSD)
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  1. The Prevailing Wind will cause the waves to move in the same direction usually at an angle to the Beach.
  2. The wave Swash will move up the beach in the same direction as the Wave and carry sediment with it.
  3. The Backwash will move down the beach vertically due to gravity carrying sediment with it.
  4. This happens repeatedly and will gradually move sediment from one side of the beach to the other in the Direction of Long Shore Drift.
  5. This means that one side of the beach will become Eroded and be Narrow.
  6. The other side of the beach will have lots of Deposition and become Wide. 

Deposition

When the sea loses energy, it drops the sand, rock particles and pebbles it has been carrying. This is called deposition. Deposition happens when the swash is stronger than the backwash and is associated with constructive waves.

Deposition is likely to occur when:
  • waves enter an area of shallow water.
  • waves enter a sheltered area, eg a cove or bay.
  • there is little wind.
  • there is a good supply of material.
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Erosional Landforms

The land-forms that are created by erosion on the coast depend on:
  • Rock type (Hard or Soft rock)
  • Bedding Planes 

Concordant Coasts

A concordant coast occurs where beds, or layers, of differing rock types are folded into ridges that run parallel to the coast. The outer hard rock (for example, granite) provides a protective barrier to erosion of the softer rocks (for example, clays) further inland. Sometimes the outer hard rock is punctured, allowing the sea to erode the softer rocks behind. This creates a cove, a circular area of water with a relatively narrow entrance from the sea.
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DISCORDANT Coasts

A discordant coastline occurs where bands of different rock type run perpendicular to the coast.

The differing resistance to erosion leads to the formation of headlands and bays. A hard rock type such as granite is resistant to erosion and creates a promontory whilst a softer rock type such as the clays of Bagshot Beds is easily eroded creating a bay.

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Wave cut platforms 

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Example of a wave cut platform
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Wave cut platforms - process
One of the most common features of a coastline is a cliff. Cliffs are shaped through a combination of erosion and weathering - the breakdown of rocks caused by weather conditions.

Soft rock, eg sand and clay, erodes easily to create gently sloping cliffs. Hard rock, eg chalk, is more resistant and erodes slowly to create steep cliffs.


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Forming a wave cut platform
  1. During high tide conditions the sea can reach the base of the Cliff.
  2. The waves erode the base of the Cliff forming a Wave Cut Notch.
  3. The Cliff above the Wave Cut Notch is no longer supported and becomes unstable leading to it collapsing into the sea.
  4. This can happen repeatedly over time causing the Cliff to Retreat inland over time.
  5. The rock left behind where the Previous Cliff used to be is called a Wave Cut Platform. 

Caves, arches, stacks and stumps

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Caves, arches, stacks and stumps
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Stages of formation:
  1. All landforms including Headlands have naturally occurring weaknesses in them. These tend to be eroded faster than the surrounding rock.
  2. These areas can gradually form into caves.
  3. As a cave continues to erode it can bore through the Headland creating an Arch.
  4. The Roof of the Arch is subjected to constant Weathering and can eventually collapse.
  5. The pillar of rock left after the Roof has collapse is called a Stack.
  6. The base of the Stack can be eroded and the Stack will eventually crumble leaving behind the lower part, this is called a Stump. 

DEPOSITIONal Landforms

Beaches

Beach: Is an accumulation of sediment, usually found in a bay. Beaches can be made out of sand, shingle and/or pebbles. Beaches receive their material from longshore drift, constructive waves, cliff erosion and river discharge. All beaches are depositional landforms but if they are made out of sand they have more depositional characteristics than if they are made from shingle and/or pebbles. 

Beaches cane be divided into backshore, offshore and foreshore. The backshore is the area above the normal high tide level, the foreshore is the area in between normal high and low tide. The Berm is a ridge (long thin hill) that forms at the top of the foreshore. It is basically sand accumulated on the strand line (twigs, litter, seaweed, etc. deposited at high tide). 
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Beach diagram

Spits

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Spit Diagram
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Farewell Spit, New Zealand
  1. The prevailing wind and waves approach the coast at an angle.
  2. This causes Long Shore Drift to move around the Bay and Headland.
  3. Deposition occurs on the sheltered side of the Headland and a Spit begins to grow across the Bay.
  4. Occasionally secondary winds can blow on the coast.
  5. These cause the sediment of the Spit to bend inland forming a Hook.
  6. Spits form in bays where rivers prevent the Spit from growing fully across the whole bay.
  7. The area behind the Spit is protected from wind and waves. Gradually sediment builds up, vegetation begins to establish itself and forms a Salt Marsh.

Sand Dunes

Sand dunes from Steven Heath
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Coastal Sand Dunes

Coral Reefs

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Answer all questions found in the following worksheet.
Coral Reef Worksheet
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File Type: doc
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Mangrove Swamps

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Mangrove Swamp Distribution
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Complete the following worksheet
Mangrove Worksheet
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Coasts and People

Opportunities

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  Create a spider diagram of ways in which people use the coastal environment. Use the above images to give you ideas.


Hazards

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Make notes from the videos on how coastal erosion can be a potential hazard.

Tropical Storms 

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Create a report on Tropical storms:
  • Where do they form?
  • How do they form?
  • What hazards do they pose?
Hurricanes: A hurricane is a large low pressure system characterised by high winds and heavy rain. Hurricanes are also known as typhoons in East and South-east Asia and cyclones around the Indian Ocean. To be classified as a hurricane, winds must exceed 119km/hr (74 mph). Small low pressure systems are called tropical storms (63-118km/hr) and tropical depressions (0-62km/hr).
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Coastal Management

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Make notes from the Coastal Management PowerPoint, and then create a spider diagram outlining the different methods of coastal management.  It should distinguish from Hard and Soft methods and also outline some advantages and disadvantages for each (do not just say expensive and ugly each time but be more specific!). Use can use Popplet or Examtime to do this. Have a look at the outline I have loaded for ideas of the structure. 
Coastal Management
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Coastal Management Strategies (advantages & disadvantages)
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Create your 3d pop up beach with coastal management strategies

Popup outline
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Popup instructions
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Case Study: Create a report on the Holderness Coast. You will need to focus on three distinct areas:
  1. What opportunities are presented to people living in the area (the benefits the coast brings to them)
  2. What hazards are present (who is at risk)
  3. What is being done to manage these hazards.
Holderness Presentation
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Map outline
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Coastal management in Holderness
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coastal_management_holderness.pdf
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Part 1

Using the map below identify as many opportunities/reasons people have living on the coast. Focus on the town of:
  • Hornsea
  • Withernsea
  • Easlington 
  • Mappleton

Part 2

Watch the following YouTube and identify factors that make this coast hazardous and also what is being done to protect the coast.
www.thegeographeronline.net
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The Geographer Online is an educational website aimed at providing geography teaching resources for all levels. 
Created and Developed by: Steven Heath

Follow us!
Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
  • Home
    • How to make a website: Tools and experiences
    • Maps and Regions
    • Travel Photographs and Videos
    • Live: Global Hazards and Disasters
    • Geography in the news
    • The Big Geography Challenge
  • New IB Geography 2017 onwards
    • IB Geography Introduction
    • Part 1: Geographical Themes >
      • Option B: Oceans and coastal margins >
        • 1. Ocean–atmosphere interactions
        • 2. Interactions between oceans and coastal places
        • 3. Managing coastal margins
        • 4. Ocean management futures
      • Option D: Geophysical Hazards >
        • 1. Geophysical systems
        • 2. Geophysical hazard risks
        • 3. Hazard risk and vulnerability
        • 4. Future resilience and adaptation
    • Part 2: Core Units (SL&HL) >
      • Unit 1: Changing Population >
        • 1. Population and economic development patterns
        • 2. Changing Populations and Places
        • 3. Challenges and opportunities
      • Unit 2: Global climate—vulnerability and resilience >
        • 1. Causes of global climate change
        • 2. Consequences of global climate change
        • 3. Responding to global climate change
      • Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security >
        • 1: Global trends in consumption
        • 2: Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption
        • 3: Resource stewardship
    • Part 3: HL Core Extensions >
      • Unit 4: Power, places and networks >
        • 1. Global interactions and global power
      • Unit 5: Human development and diversity
      • Unit 6: Global risks and resilience
    • Internal Assessment
    • Why should I study IB Geography?
  • IB Geography (Old Syllabus)
    • IB Core >
      • 1. Populations in Transition
      • 2. Disparities in Wealth and Development
      • 3. Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability
      • 4. Patterns in Resource Consumption
    • Part 1: Geographical Themes >
      • Oceans and their Coastal Margins
      • Hazards and disasters - risk assessment and response
      • Freshwater - issues and conflicts
      • Urban Environments
    • Global Interactions - HL >
      • Measuring Global Interactions
      • Changing Space - The Shrinking world
      • Economic Interactions and Flows
      • Environmental Change
      • Sociocultural Exchanges
      • Political Outcomes
      • Global Interactions at the Local Level
    • IB Guidance >
      • Syllabus Guidance
      • IB Examination Guidance
    • Extended Essay
  • IGCSE Geography
    • Theme 1: Population and settlement >
      • Population Dynamics
      • Migration
      • Settlements
      • Urban Settlements
      • Urbanisation
    • Theme 2: The natural environment >
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Coasts
      • Rivers
      • Weather and Climate
      • Climate and Ecosystems
    • Theme 3: Economic development >
      • Development
      • Food Production
      • Industry
      • Energy
      • Tourism
      • Water
      • Environmental Risks of Economic development
    • GCSE Key Terms
    • GCSE Coursework
    • Alternative to Coursework
    • IGCSE Geography Examination Advice
    • IGCSE Revision Games
  • Key Stage 3
    • Year 6 >
      • My Place
      • Rivers
      • Brazil
    • Year 7 >
      • Maps and the world
      • Rocky Landscapes
      • Settlement
      • Weather & Climate
    • Year 8 >
      • Maps Introduction
      • Plate Tectonics
      • Economic Activity
      • Biomes
    • Year 9 >
      • Map Skills - review
      • Development
      • Coasts
      • Tourism
      • Paradise lost - Tourism in Thailand
  • AS Level Geography
    • World at Risk
    • Crowded Coasts
  • Geography Skills
  • Donations & Contact
  • YouTube Channel
  • Essential computer programs