SCI405-Lecture 6

Lecture 6:
Coastal zones and

processes
SCI405 – Geology
The shoreline and ocean waves
▪ The restless waters of the
ocean are constantly in motion.
▪ Winds generate surface
currents, the gravity of the National Ocean Service Azocleantech
Moon and Sun produces tides,

and density differences create
deep ocean circulation.
▪ Further, waves carry the energy
from storms to distant shores,
where their impact erodes the
land. arstechnica.com
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration
2
▪ Teetering on the edge Bluff
failure caused by storm
waves in March 2016
resulted in these
apartments in Pacifica,
California, being
condemned.
▪ When these buildings were
erected in the 1970s, they
were safely away from the
cliffs.
▪ Over the years, several
measures were attempted
to reduce erosion of the
sandstone cliffs.
▪ All proved to be arstechnica.com
inadequate.
(Photo by Terry Chea/AP Photo)
3
Shoreline
➢is the line that marks the contact between
land and sea.
▪ Each day, as tides rise and fall, the position of
the shoreline migrates.
▪ Over longer time spans, as sea level rises or
falls, the average position of the shoreline
gradually shifts.
Shore Coast
➢ refers specifically to the ➢ refers to a larger
land along the edge of a geographical region that
body of water includes the shore as well
as the adjacent land areas
arstechnica.com
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration
4
Beach
➢an accumulation of
sediment found along
the landward margin
of a water body
Siry
arstechnica.com
Google Translate
5
Beaches in the Philippines: Boracay (Aklan)
7stonesboracay 7stonesboracay
7stonesboracay
White sand
➢ due to skeletons or shells of foraminiferas (single-
celled marine organisms), corals and other Siry
organisms
arstechnica.com
6
Beaches in the Philippines: Black sand beaches in Albay
Black sand
➢ result of eroded
volcanic materials
such as basalts (dark-
colored volcanic
rocks) 7stonesboracay
Siry
arstechnica.com
National Museum of the Philippines - Bicol
7
Beaches in the Philippines: Sila Island (Northern Samar)
Pink sand
➢ originally white-
colored sand beach
turned pinkish ever 7stonesboracay
since washed-up red-

colored corals spread
all over the shore
Siry
arstechnica.com
National Museum of the Philippines - Bicol
8
Beaches in the Philippines: Valugan Beach (Batanes)
Nomadic experiences
Boulder beach
➢ huge andesite
boulders were
produced by Mt. Iraya 7stonesboracay
volcano and these

boulders were broken
down, polished and
rounded by strong
waves in Batanes Siry
arstechnica.com
9
Shoreline
➢ refers to the specific interface
or line where land and water
meet
➢ dynamic
Coastline
➢ Much broader boundary
between land and water
➢ has features, including rocky

cliffs, sandy beaches, or
marshy shores
➢ are subject to erosion and Siry

other natural processes arstechnica.com
10
Wave-cut cliff
➢ also known simply as a
cliff or a coastal cliff
➢is a geological feature
formed by the erosion of
waves against a coastline
Siry
arstechnica.com
Teleskola
11
Notch
➢a narrow indentation or
cutout in the coastline
➢ often formed through
erosional processes such
as wave action, weathering,
or the movement of
sediment
Siry
arstechnica.com
Trenhaile, 2015
12
Berm
➢refers a nearly
to
horizontal or gently
sloping strip of land or
sand found along the
backshore of a beach.
Siry
arstechnica.com
Paul Morris | Flickr

13
Foreshore
➢ part of the shore
exposed at low tide
and submerged at high
tide
➢the area where the

ocean meets the land
Siry
arstechnica.com
14
Nearshore
➢extends from the
shoreline to where
waves break (surf
zone) at the outer edge
of the surf zone
➢area of the ocean
where the water is
shallow enough to be
affected by wave
action arstechnica.com
Siry
15
Offshore
➢area beyond the
nearshore zone
➢water is deeper and
further from the
shore
➢associated with
activities such as oil
drilling, fishing, and
shipping arstechnica.com
Siry
16
Sand movement in the beach
Swash
➢refers to the movement of water
rushing up the beach after a wave
breaks, carrying sediment and debris
landward
Wikipedia
Golearngeo.wordpress.com
Backwash
➢is the flow of water back down the
beach after the swash
arstechnica.com
17
Beach drift
▪ The uprush of water from each
breaking wave (the swash) is at an
oblique angle to the shoreline.
▪ However, the backwash is straight
down the slope of the beach.
▪ The effect of this pattern of water
movement is to transport sediment in
a zigzag pattern along the beach face.
▪ This movement is called beach

drift, and it can transport sand and
pebbles hundreds or even thousands
of meters each day. Siry
arstechnica.com
18
Longshore Current
• Waves that approach the shore at an
angle also produce currents within
the surf zone that flow parallel to the
shore and move substantially more
sediment than beach drift.
• Because the water here is turbulent,
these longshore currents
easily move the fine suspended sand
and roll larger sand and gravel along
the bottom.
• When the sediment transported by
longshore currents is added to the
quantity moved by beach drift, the Siry
total amount can be very large. arstechnica.com
19
Rip Currents
➢are concentrated movements of
water that flow opposite the
direction of breaking waves.
(Sometimes rip currents are
incorrectly called rip tides, although
they are unrelated to tidal
phenomena)
▪ Most of the backwash from spent
waves finds its way back to the open
ocean as an unconfined flow across
the ocean bottom called sheet flow.
▪ However, sometimes a portion of the
returning water moves seaward in
the form of surface rip currents. Siry
arstechnica.com
20
Rip Currents
▪ These currents do not travel far
beyond the surf zone before
breaking up and can be
recognized by the way they
interfere with incoming waves or
by the sediment that is often
suspended within the rip current.
▪ They can be hazardous to
swimmers, who, if caught in them,
can be carried out away from
shore.
▪ The best strategy for exiting a rip
current is to swim parallel to the
Siry
shore for a few tens of meters. arstechnica.com
21
Siry
arstechnica.com
22
Shoreline features
Erosional features Depositional features

▪ Wave-cut cliffs ▪ Spits
▪ Wave-cut platforms ▪ Bars
▪ Marine terraces ▪ Tombolos
▪ Sea arches
▪ Sea stacks
Siry
arstechnica.com
23
Shoreline features
Erosional feature
Wave-cut platform
➢a gently sloping, flat, or

slightly inclined surface
of rock that extends 7stonesboracay
from the base of a

wave-cut cliff out into
the sea
Siry
arstechnica.com
24
Shoreline features
Erosional feature
Marine terraces
➢relatively flat or gently

sloping landforms that
parallel the coastline 7stonesboracay
and are typically found

above present-day sea
level
ESSD Copernicus
arstechnica.com
25
Shoreline features
Erosional feature
Sea arch
➢is a natural rock arch
formed by the erosive
action of waves on coastal
rock formations
Sea stack
7stonesboracay
➢a vertical column or pillar

of rock that stands isolated
from the coastline, often
adjacent to cliffs or
headlands arstechnica.com
26
Shoreline features
Depositional feature
Spit
➢is an elongated ridge of
sand that projects from
the land into the mouth of
an adjacent bay
7stonesboracay
▪ Often the end of a spit Bay

that is in the water hooks ➢ a body of water partially enclosed
by land, usually with a wide
landward in response to mouth opening to the sea or
the dominant direction of another larger body of water,
such as a lake or another bay
arstechnica.com
the longshore current.

27
Shoreline features
Baymouth bar
▪ The term baymouth bar is
applied to a sandbar that
completely crosses a bay,
sealing it off from the open 7stonesboracay
ocean.
Bay
▪ Such a feature tends to
➢ a body of water partially enclosed
form across a bay where by land, usually with a wide
currents are weak, allowing mouth opening to the sea or
another larger body of water,
a spit to extend to the such as a lake or another bay
arstechnica.com
other side
28
Shoreline features
Tombolo
➢a ridge of sand that
connects an island to the
mainland or to another 7stonesboracay
island, forms in much the

same manner as a spit
arstechnica.com
Wikipedia
29
Tropical storms: The ultimate coastal hazard
▪Hurricane
(North Atlantic Ocean and
Northeastern Pacific Ocean) powerful tropical
storms
▪Cyclone characterized by
(South Pacific and Indian low pressure
7stonesboracay
Ocean)
systems and
▪Typhoon strong winds
(Northwestern Pacific Ocean) arstechnica.com
30
Storm Surge
▪ Without question, the most devastating
damage in the coastal zone is caused by
storm surge.
▪ It not only accounts for a large share of
coastal property losses but is also
responsible for a high percentage of all
hurricane-caused deaths.
7stonesboracay
➢A storm surge is a dome of water 65 to 80

kilometers (40 to 50 miles) wide that
sweeps across the coast near the point
where the eye makes landfall.
▪ The worst surges occur in places like the Gulf of Mexico, where the continental shelf is
very shallow and gently sloping. In addition, local features such as bays and rivers can
arstechnica.com
cause the surge to double in height and increase in speed.

31
Super typhoon Yolanda

➢ made landfall on
November 8, 2013 7stonesboracay
➢Guian, Eastern Samar
arstechnica.com
VOA News
32
Stabilizing the shore
▪ The shoreline is a dynamic place that can change rapidly in

response to natural forces.
▪ Exceptional storms are capable of eroding beaches and
cliffs at rates that greatly exceed the long-term average.
▪ Such bursts of accelerated erosion not only significantly7stonesboracay
affect the natural evolution of a coast but also can have a

profound impact on people who reside in the coastal zone.
arstechnica.com
33
▪Hard stabilization
▪ Jetties
▪ Groins
▪ Breakwaters and seawalls
▪Alternatives to hard stabilization 7stonesboracay
▪ Beach nourishment
▪ Changing land use
arstechnica.com
34
Hard Stabilization
▪ Structures built to protect a coast from erosion or to prevent the
movement of sand along a beach are collectively known as hard
stabilization.
▪ Hard stabilization can take many forms and often results in
predictable yet unwanted outcomes. 7stonesboracay
▪ Hard stabilization includes:

▪ Jetties
▪ Groins
▪ Breakwaters
▪ Seawalls arstechnica.com
35
Hard stabilization
Jetties
▪ Structures typically built from a shoreline
out into a body of water, often the sea or
a river, to direct currents and prevent
sediment deposition.
▪ They're also used for docking boats or
ships.
▪ Jetties can be made of various materials
such as concrete, rocks, or wood,
depending on their intended purpose and
environmental factors. arstechnica.com
36
Hard stabilization
Jetties
▪ A jetty may act as a dam against which
the longshore current and beach drift
deposit sand.
▪ At the same time, wave activity removes
sand on the other side.
▪ Because the other side is not receiving
any new sand, there is soon no beach at
all.
arstechnica.com
37
Hard stabilization
Jetties
▪ Jetties help to:
▪ Stabilize the shorelines
▪ Manage sediment transport
▪ Provide safe harbors for
maritime activities
arstechnica.com
38
Hard stabilization
Groins
▪ To maintain or widen beaches that are
losing sand, groins are sometimes
constructed.
➢A groin (groin = ground) is a barrier built
at a right angle to the beach to trap sand
that is moving parallel to the shore.
▪ Groins are usually constructed of large
rocks but may also be composed of
wood. arstechnica.com
39
Hard stabilization
Groins
• These structures often do their job so
effectively that the longshore current
beyond the groin becomes sand starved.
• As a result, the current erodes sand from
the beach on the downstream side of the
groin.
arstechnica.com
40
Hard stabilization
Breakwaters
▪ Hard stabilization can be built
parallel to the shoreline.
▪ One such structure is a breakwater,
which protects boats from the
force of large breaking waves by
creating a quiet water zone near
the shoreline.
arstechnica.com
41
Hard stabilization
Breakwaters
▪ However, when a breakwater is
constructed, the reduced wave
activity along the shore behind the
structure may allow sand to
accumulate.
▪ If this happens, the marina will
eventually fill with sand, while the
downstream beach erodes and
retreats.
arstechnica.com
Marina - a specifically designed harbor with facilities for mooring boats and yachts, often offering services such as fueling, repairs, and amenities for boaters and visitors
42
Hard stabilization
Breakwaters
• At Santa Monica, California, where the
building of a breakwater has created
such a problem, the city uses a dredge
to remove sand from the protected
quiet water zone and deposit it
downstream, where longshore currents
and beach drift continue to move the
sand down the coast.
arstechnica.com
Dredge - the action of using such a tool or machine to remove material from the bottom of a body of water.
43
Hard stabilization
Seawall
▪ Another type of hard stabilization built
parallel to the shoreline is a seawall,
which is designed to armor the coast
and defend property from the force of
breaking waves.
▪ Waves expend much of their energy as
they move across an open beach.
▪ Seawalls cut this process short by
reflecting the force of unspent waves
seaward.
▪ As a consequence, the beach to the seaward side of the seawall experiences significant
erosion and may in some instances be eliminated entirely.
arstechnica.com
44
Hard stabilization
Seawall
• Once the width of the beach is
reduced, the seawall is subjected to
even greater pounding by the waves.
• Eventually this battering causes the
wall to fail, and a larger, more
expensive wall must be built to take
its place.
arstechnica.com
45
Alternatives to Hard stabilization
▪ Armoring the coast with hard stabilization has several

potential drawbacks, including the cost of the structure and
the loss of sand on the beach.
▪ Alternatives to hard stabilization include beach
nourishment and relocation.
arstechnica.com
46
Beach nourishment
▪ One approach to stabilizing shoreline
sands without hard stabilization is beach
nourishment.
▪ As the term implies, this practice involves
adding large quantities of sand to the
beach system.
▪ Extending beaches seaward makes
buildings along the shoreline less
vulnerable to destruction by storm waves
and enhances recreational uses.
▪ Without sandy beaches, tourism suffers. arstechnica.com
47
Beach nourishment
▪ Beach nourishment is not a permanent solution
to the problem of shrinking beaches.
▪ The same processes that removed the sand in
the first place eventually remove the
replacement sand as well.
▪ Nevertheless, the number of nourishment
projects has increased in recent years, and
many beaches, especially along the Atlantic
coast, have had their sand replenished many
times.
▪ Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been nourished
more than 50 times. arstechnica.com
48
Relocation
• Instead of building structures such as
groins and seawalls to hold the beach
in place or adding sand to replenish
eroding beaches, another option is
available.
• Many coastal scientists and planners
are calling for a policy shift from
defending and rebuilding beaches and
coastal property in high-hazard areas
to relocating storm-damaged buildings
in those places and letting nature arstechnica.com
reclaim the beach.

49
Reference
▪ Lutgens, F.K., Tarbuck, E.J., Tasa, D. (2018). Essentials of

Geology 13e. Pearson, 330 Hudson Street, NY.
50

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Lecture 6:

Coastal zones and

Moon and Sun produces tides,

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration

National Museum of the Philippines - Bicol

since washed-up red-

National Museum of the Philippines - Bicol

volcano and these

➢ has features, including rocky

➢ are subject to erosion and Siry

Paul Morris | Flickr

➢the area where the

▪ This movement is called beach

Erosional features Depositional features

➢a gently sloping, flat, or

from the base of a

➢relatively flat or gently

and are typically found

➢a vertical column or pillar

▪ Often the end of a spit Bay

the longshore current.

island, forms in much the

➢A storm surge is a dome of water 65 to 80

cause the surge to double in height and increase in speed.

Super typhoon Yolanda

➢Guian, Eastern Samar

▪ The shoreline is a dynamic place that can change rapidly in

affect the natural evolution of a coast but also can have a

▪ Hard stabilization includes:

Alternatives to Hard stabilization

▪ Armoring the coast with hard stabilization has several

reclaim the beach.

▪ Lutgens, F.K., Tarbuck, E.J., Tasa, D. (2018). Essentials of

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