Geography

• A headland is a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea.
• Hard engineering is structures that protect the coast which are man made and artificial. Where as soft engineering using natural materials to protect the coast 
• Groynes interrupt longshore drift. As they trap sediment on one side of the groyne and the other side gets less sediment 
• Longshore drift creates beaches. The waves (swash) approach the beach at an angle this is because of the prevailing wind. The swash brings sediment to the beach. Gravity causes the wave to go straight back down to the sea (backwash). This wave takes away sediment. This continues in a zigzag motion. 
• Hydraulic action is when water hits rocks or cliffs with great force causing them to break up.
• The main types of coastal erosion include hydraulic action, abrasion, corrosion, attrition and solution.
• Beach management involves managing the amount of sand on the beach. If there is too much it can cause flooding, if not enough then erosion occurs.
• Attrition is where pebbles hit eachother breaking off small pieces. These smaller particles can then be carried further along the shore by the waves.
• Saltation is when larger stones bounce across the seabed. They pick up smaller stones and carry them along the seabed.
• Attrition is where pebbles knock against eachother breaking off bits of rock. These smaller pieces then get carried along by the waves and can cause further damage to the shoreline.
• Solution is caused by acid rain dissolving limestone cliffs. Acid rain is formed when sulphur dioxide reacts with oxygen and water vapour in the atmosphere. It falls as rain and snow. When it lands on limestone cliffs it makes them weaker so they crumble more easily.
• Corrosion is caused by saltwater getting trapped in small holes in the rock. Over time the salt crystallises and expands making the hole bigger. Eventually the whole rock will fall out.
• Sand dunes act as a barrier between land and sea. They also absorb energy from storm surges and reduce the impact of these surges on the coastline. Sand dunes store carbon dioxide so they are important for climate change mitigation.
• Solution is where rock dissolves into the sea. For example limestone which contains calcium carbonate reacts with acid rain to form soluble compounds that are washed out to sea.
• Corrosion is where saltwater attacks rocks such as chalk and soft shales. Salt crystals grow inside cracks in the rock weakening it until eventually it falls apart.
• A salt marsh is a wetland area where seawater mixes with freshwater. It has high nutrient levels due to the mixing of salty and freshwater. Salt marshes have a diverse range of flora and fauna including birds such as herons and egrets. Salt marshes are important habitats for many species of wildlife. They also act as a buffer zone against storm surges by absorbing some of the energy of the surge. However, salt marshes are under threat from rising sea levels and increased human activity along the coast.
• The wider beach acts as a buffer (barrier) to reduce wave damage.
• The problem of erosion is moved rather than fixed by groynes.