Coastal Processes and

Landforms
Coast : The coast is the land along a sea.
Coastline: The boundary of a coast, where land meets
water, is called the coastline.
Waves, tides, and currents help create coastlines. When
waves crash onto shore, they wear away at, or erode, the
land. ... Coastal changes can take hundreds of years.
Three main processes take place in coastal zones.

1) Erosion : is a high energy process in which material worn

away.

2) Transportation : is the process by which eroded material

is carried away .

3) Deposition : is a low energy process in which transported

material is deposited .
 Ekle resim
How does the sea shape the
coast ?
 The coastline is always changing its shape. Some parts
are worn away by erosion while other parts are being
build up by deposition .
Erosion landforms :

Landscape features formed by the wearing away of land

 Bay
 Headland
 Caves, arches, stacks and stumps
Depositional landforms:

Landscape features made up of material that has been laid

down
 Beaches
 Spit
 Headlands and bays
 Headlands are formed when the sea attacks a section of coast with alternating

bands of hard and soft rock.

 The bands of soft rock, such as sand and clay, erode more quickly than those

of more resistant rock, such as chalk. This leaves a section of land jutting out

into the sea called a headland. The areas where the soft rock has eroded

away, next to the headland, are called bays.

Landforms created by
deposition
 A spit is an extended stretch of beach material that
only joins the mainland at one end. They start to be
formed where there is a change in the direction of
the coastline.

 Spits are also caused by deposition - they are features

that are formed by the process of longshore drift.

Key terms
 The transport of sand and pebbles along the coast is
called longshore drift.
Beaches

 Beaches are formed from deposits of sediment.

Landforms created by
deposition
 How Spurn Head spit is formed ?
 P.17 QUESTION 2

 Erosion occurs on the coastline around Flamborough

Head, north of Spurn Head .
 Transportation by sea currents moves the eroded
material down the coast.
 Deposition occurs where the coastline changes
direction . The spit grows out from the coast as more
material builds up . The end of the spit is curved by the
action of the waves. The spit is 6 km long .
Key terms

 Headland : A part of the coastline that juts out into the

sea and usually ends in a cliff.

 Bay : a wide ,curving inlet of the sea or lake .

 Cliff : A steep ,rocky slope that may overlook the sea.

 Spit : An accumulation of sand or shingle that grows

outwards from a coastline or across a river mouth
TYPES OF WAVES
Key terms

 When a wave breaks, water is washed up the beach -

this is called the swash.

 Then the water runs back down the beach - this is

called the backwash.
 Constructive waves
Constructive waves

 They have a swash that is stronger

than the backwash.

 They are created in calm weather

and are less powerful than
destructive waves.

 They break on the shore and

deposit material, building up
beaches.
 Deposition is greater than erosion.
 Destructive waves
Destructive waves

 They have a stronger backwash than

swash.

 Destructive waves are created in storm

conditions.

 They are created from big, strong

waves when the wind is powerful and
has been blowing for a long time.

 They tend to erode the coast.

 Erosion is greater than deposition.
Key differences

With a constructive wave, the swash is stronger than the backwash.

With a destructive wave, the backwash is stronger than the swash.

 Constructive waves: Build the beach by deposition. Their swash is

stronger their backswash so they carry material up the beach and deposit
it there.

 Destructive waves: erode the beach. Their backwash is stronger than their
swash, so they drag material down the beach and into the sea.
Page 18 19

 Erosion is a problem for many of our coastal areas. It

causes land loss and may destroy property ,transport
links and industries .It can also result in job losses.
 The Holderness Coast is located on the east coast of
England.The Holderness Coast is one of Europe's fastest
eroding coastlines. The average annual rate of erosion is
around 2 metres per year.
 There are two main reasons why this area of coast is
eroding so rapidly. The first is the result of the strong
prevailing winds creating longshore drift that moves
material south along the coastline. The second is that
the cliffs are made of soft boulder clay which erodes
rapidly.

Key terms
 Prevailing winds are the dominant wind direction in
an area.
 The transport of sand and pebbles along the coast is
called longshore drift.
Problems caused by coastal erosion
in the Holderness area (Mappleton)

Buildings
 Houses have fallen into the sea.
 Farm buildings have become unsafe.
 Post office in Mappleton is under threat
 The school in Mappleton is under threat
Industries

 Farming is affected ,as much farmland has been lost.

 Tourism may be affected ,as seaside resorts such as
Hornsea and Withernsea are under threat.

 Two gas plants on the coast are at risk.

Employment

 Farmland and farms have been lost ,so farming jobs are
likely to have been lost too .

 Jobs may be lost in tourism if the seaside resorts are

affected.

 Jobs may be lost if the gas plants are forced to close.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-VzLG15yMQ

 This link is very important. Please have a look at it.

When you are home 
The coast is changing as a result of
natural processes and human activities
Factors affecting the coast
Coastal management
methods
 Hard engineering - this involves building structures to
protect the coast.

 Soft engineering - this involves working with nature by

using natural materials or allowing nature to take back
areas.
Why defend the coast ?

There are number of reasons for protecting the coast .

Coast lines tend to be very heavily populated. They are
areas of high economic value due to tourism . Coastlines
are particularly prone to flooding . Finally , they are fragile
ecosystems which take a long time to recover if they are
destroyed.
 Coastal management
HARD ENGINEERING
Hard engineering options
tend to be expensive and
short-term options. They
may also have a high
impact on the landscape
or environment.
Types of
Coastal
Management

SOFT ENGINEERING
Soft engineering options are
often less expensive than
hard engineering options.
They are usually also more
long-term and sustainable,
with less impact on the
environment.
Hard Engineering

 Groynes
Hard Engineering

 Sea Walls
Hard Engineering

 Rip-rap
SOFT EngINEERING

 Beach Rebuilding;
Replacement of sand /
pebbles on eroding beaches.
 The problem with beach nourishment
is that one severe storm event may
remove vast amounts of the
expensive sediment.
 SOFT ENGINEERING
Beach reshaping.

 Sand dunes and cliffs are a natural sea

defence.
 They are stabilised by fences or by
planting grasses to hold the sand and
rocks together.

 This is cheap and effective but easily

damaged by people if not maintained.
Managed retreat
 This is where in certain areas, the sea is allowed to reclaim
(flood) the land that was once covered by the sea
Advantages Sea Wall Disadvantages

•Protects the area •Very expensive

behind the wall.
•Can look ugly
•Helps prevent
flooding

Advantages Groynes Disadvantages

Helps to stop •Very expensive

longshore drift
moving material
along the coast
Traps sediment and
builds up beaches
Advantages Beach rebuilding Disadvantages

•Adding more sand or •Doesn’t last very

shingle widens the long
beach and waves lose
power travelling
across it

•Looks natural
Advantages Gabions Disadvantages

• wire cages can

•cheaper than other break and they
forms of coastal need to be
defence rock cages secured
absorb wave energy
Method How does it work? Advantages Disadvantages

Groynes

Sea Wall

Revetments

Rip-rap

Gabions

Beach reshaping

Beach rebuilding

Managed Retreat
The different methods used in
the protection of the coast
Exam-style questions
1. Name two landforms formed by coastal erosion .

2. Name two landforms formed by coastal deposition.

3. Explain the difference between swash and

backwash.

4. Explain the difference between hard engineering

and soft engineering methods of coastal management .

5. Why is it important to distinguish between

constructive waves and destructive waves
TERM HOMEWORK
 Draw and explain how headlands and bays are formed .
 Draw and explain how cave, arch ,stack, stump are
formed.
 Draw and explain how spit and beach are formed.
Thank You for Listening 