Coastal Processes and Landforms

Use the following resources to complete the tables below:

 Oxford Big Ideas – Chp. 3.1 What forces shape coastal
landscapes (Pgs 98 – 105)
 Coastal Landforms Powerpoint (attached to email)
1. You will need to be able to identify and describe the following
coastal processes.
Identify: To name and distinguish features
Describe: To say what something is like based on its characteristics

Process Description (2 – 3 sentences)

Erosion Destructive waves form thousands of
(Destructive waves) kilometres away from the shore building up
energy. Destructive waves take away
material from the coast and erode them
away. In this case the backwash is stronger
than the swash.
Transportation Long shore drift is the movement of sand
(Longshore drift) along the beach and caused when waves hit
the beach at a 90 degree angle which is
caused by winds. Overtime this creates piles
of sand on one side of the beach.
Deposition Constructive waves are small and gentle
(Constructive waves) and don’t remove much material from the
coast. Constructive waves break up on the
shore and tend to deposit material which
creates beaches. In this case the swash is
stronger than the backwash.

2. You will need to be able to identify and outline how each of the
following coastal landforms are created.
Identify: To name and distinguish features
Outline: Summarise the main events – could be dot points
Landform Outline (list of
dot points or 2 –
3 sentences)
Arch Arches are rock
formations that
form a U shape.
They are formed
when water
erodes a
headland and
form a hole in it.
Stack Stacks are
vertical columns
of rocks. They
are formed when
the top of arches
fall into the
ocean leaving 2
stacks.
Cave Caves are deep
holes in
headlands. They
are created
when waves hit
soft parts of
rocks and
eventually erode
them away
which create
opening for more
water to rush in
and wear away
at the walls.
Headland Headlands is the
part of a cliff
which sticks out
further than the
main cliff. They
stick out over
water and can be
eroded into
caves, arches,
stacks and
eventually
stumps
Spits Spits are sand
banks that
extend from the
mainland out to
the sea. They are
normally formed
when there is a
change in the
headlands or
coastline.
Tombolos Tombolos are a
depositional
landform in
which a narrow
piece of land
such as a spit or
bar connects to
an island and is
then known as a
tied island.
Lagoon A lagoon is a
shallow body of
water separated
from the main
body of water by
islands or reefs.
Lagoons are
formed when
sand is eroded
way forming a pit
in which water
can seep in.
Wave cut A wave cut
platform platform is the
narrow flat area
often found at
the base of a sea
cliff or along the
shoreline of a
lake, bay or sea
which was
created by
erosion. Wave
cut platforms are
formed when
water erodes a
cliff causing an
undercut which
allows rock to fall
down and create
the platform.