Coastal Processes and Landforms

Dr. Neil J. Porter

Introduction to Oceanography ESCI-2300

The lecture material is the intellectual property of Dr. Neil J. Porter.

Distribution or publication of this material in whole or in part is illegal, under the Canadian Copyright Act, RSC 1985.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms

Overview
9.0 Introduction
9.1 The Shoreline
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features
9.3 Coastal Sand Dunes
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove Swamps
9.5 Rocky Coasts
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.0 Introduction

• A coast is a much broader area. It includes the:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

• Coastal structures are now being threatened by rising

sea level, others are already destroyed.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.1 The Shoreline
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features

 Beach consists of loose material, which has accumulated

by wave action on shoreline

 Type of beach material depends on source of sand

 White and pink beaches from shell and coral

 Black and red beaches from volcanic rock

 Brown beaches from quartz and feldspar

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features – Black Beaches

Hawaii
Hawaii

Tahaiti St Vincent
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features– Green Beaches

The green sand beach in southwestern Hawaii Island is formed of the

mineral olivine. This mineral weathers very quickly but it can also replaced
very rapidly in this bay by wave erosion of the old volcano in the cliff
behind.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features– Red Beaches

Erosion of red cinder, Maui, Hawaii

Prince Edward Island (oxidation)

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features: Pink Beaches – Foraminifera

(Bermuda)
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features – where do beaches come from?

Bramber, Nova Scotia

• Many rocks break down

into silt or clay, which is
carried offshore

• Sand and gravel bluffs

break down quickly and
supply material suitable for
beaches
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features – where do beaches come from?

• The world largest rivers are

mainly tropical, and because
of hot, wet conditions,
chemical weathering
produces clay sediments that
are carried offshore.

• Streams running of steep

coastal mountains carry sand
and gravel, however, and can
be important in these areas
for beach development.

Betsiboka River, Madagascar

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features – where do beaches come from?

• Important where there

are glaciers, and also in
areas, such as lake Erie,
where the bluffs are in
glacial and glaciofluvial
deposits.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features – where do beaches come from?

Bora Bora, French Polynesia - coral

Barbados shell beach

Very important in tropical areas,

But there are also shell beaches
in eastern Canada and in other
cooler environments.
Cayman Islands
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features – where do beaches come from?

• Such as mine waste etc.

• In the extreme case opposite, a

black sand beach on the
volcanic island of Tenerife
(Canary Islands) has been
replaced with white sand from
west Africa (it’s cooler on the
feet or back, and, for most
people, it looks better).
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features:
• are beaches attached to the land at one end
• are attached to the coast at two ends – they often close off
bays or inlets
• attach islands to mainlands or islands to islands
• are triangular-shaped features, sometimes surrounding a
lagoon
• are long sandy (sometimes gravel) islands running parallel
to the shore
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features: Spits
Gaspe, Quebec

• – built by longshore
transport moving sediment
along the coast and depositing
it where there is a sudden
change in direction of the
coast – as at the mouth of an
inlet. Spits are often curved
towards, and away from the
land because of wave
refraction.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms

Oregon Iceland
PEI
Toronto Islands

Burlington
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features:
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features

Cyprus Middle East

A “wanna-be” tombolo.
Deposition in the wave shadow
area behind an island. Tidal
currents are too strong to allow
complete closure
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features

Developed on top of a terminal moraine of the Erie-Ontario

ice lobe between 3000 to 4000 years ago
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.2 Beaches, and Nearshore Features –
Carolinas

Banks Island, Arctic

Gippsland, SE Australia Miami, Florida

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.3 Sand Dunes

Aeolian processes are generally most effective in sparsely vegetated

regions with dry surfaces and an abundance of unconsolidated surface
materials. The work of the wind is therefore generally associated with
deserts. Nevertheless, the same processes operate on beaches and in any
other environments where loose, fairly fine-grained sediments are exposed
on the surface to strong winds.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.3 Sand Dunes – Shallow Bay, Gros Morne National Park
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove Swamps

• Salt marsh and particularly mangrove plants are able to

tolerate saline (salty - sea water) conditions).
•
• Between 30 and 65 degrees latitude
•
• Tropical regions
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove Swamps

• Biologically important
• Nurseries, feeding grounds for commercially important
marine animals
• Efficiently cleanse polluted water
• Absorb water from coastal flooding
• Protect shores from wave erosion
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove Swamps
Complicated drainage channels and
enclosed depressions (pans)

Salt marsh extends

down to about the
high tidal level.
Therefore, as tides
bring in more mud
into sheltered areas
and build up the
surface of mudflats,
pioneering species
start to colonize it at
the high tidal level.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove
Swamps

 Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees

that grow in coastal areas of
tropical and subtropical regions

Low tide (Brazil)

 Mangrove are uniquely equipped
to survive tidal inundation (they
grow down to the mid-tidal level)
and salt conditions.

 Three major species:





High tide (Brazil)

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove Swamps
Red Mangrove Black Mangrove

White Mangrove
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Salt Marsh and Mangrove Swamps

How do mangrove breathe in

waterlogged soils ?
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.4 Mangrove and Coastal Protection
There has been a great deal of
debate on the geomorphic role of
mangroves. Some workers believe
that their main function is to
occupy sites where silting has
already taken place, whereas
others consider that they can
extend into shallow water, hasten
deposition, and facilitate coastal
progradation. The recent tsunami
in the Indian Ocean has shown the
importance of mangroves in
protecting low coasts.

Mangrove have been cut down in

many areas, but some replanting
is now taking place (left – Fiji).
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts
Probably the most common type of coast in the world,
and certainly the most common type in Canada

Cape St. George, Newfoundland

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts
Kiama Blowhole
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts

The Benagil Sea Cave - Portugal

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts

 Usually in rocks with a strong joint pattern, but in rock strong

enough to stand in the roof.

Zakynthos , S. Greece
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts: Arches

The 1990 collapse of “London Bridge”, Victoria, Australia

 Old Harry has been Old Harry’s wife
around for 200 yrs, but is getting collapsed about 50
Detached from mainland narrower years ago
in last 100 years

Old Harry Rocks in the Chalk of southern England

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts:
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.5 Rocky Coasts: Cliffs – Shore Platforms

• Macro-tidal
• 1° to 5° slope
• continuous slope below low tide

• Micro tidal environments

• Surface – flat
• low tide break
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
Rocky Coasts: Cliffs
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Cliff Erosion

• Sea cliffs and lakeshore bluffs erode due to wave action,

running water, and landslides

• Causes the cliffs and bluffs to retreat

• Human activities increase erosion rate

• Increase surface runoff
• Increase groundwater discharge
• Addition of weight to cliff

• Can be monitored using LIDAR.

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion

•
• Creating structures meant to protect shoreline
1.
2.
3.
4.

•
• Adding sand to depleted beaches

• Land use changes

• avoid building in hazardous areas
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Hard Stabilization
1.
• Structures built perpendicular to shoreline usually in groups
• Traps sand from longshore drift
• Causes increased erosion in down-drift area
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Hard Stabilization

2.
• Structures built parallel to
shoreline
• Vertical design reflects waves
and redirects energy to shore
• Promotes beach erosion
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Hard Stabilization
3.
• Built perpendicular to shore
• Built in pairs
• Built to protect harbor entrances
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Hard Stabilization
4.
• Built parallel to a shoreline
• Designed to protect harbors from waves
• Can cause excessive erosion, requiring dredging to keep area
stable
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Soft Stabilization

• Adding sand to replace

sand that has eroded.

• Aesthetically preferable to
hard stabilizations.

• Temporary solution.

• Sand must be chosen

carefully to match
conditions at beach.
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion – Soft Stabilization

Marina del Rey

Sand pumping system

 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion

•
• Move structures rather than protect them in areas
of erosion
 Coastal Processes and Landforms
9.6 Minimizing Coastal Erosion: Point Pelee