3.1

• What is the role of geology in shaping the UK’s coastline?

  Geology influences the coastline by determining rock types, which affects how resistant or susceptible the coast is to erosion. For example, Cornwall’s rocky coastline resists erosion due to its harder rocks like granite.
• What types of rocks are found along Cornwall's coastline?

  Cornwall’s coastline contains older, resistant rocks including igneous rocks (e.g., granite), compacted sedimentary rocks (e.g., old red sandstone), and metamorphic rocks (e.g., slates and schists).
• What is a coastal plain?

  A coastal plain is a flat, low-lying area, such as The Wash, where the landscape is shaped by weaker sedimentary rocks like chalks, clays, sands, and sandstones.
• What characterizes high-energy coastlines?

  High-energy coastlines, such as those on the Atlantic-facing coasts, are rocky and subject to powerful waves, leading to rapid erosion. Erosional landforms are typically found in these environments.
• What are low-energy coastlines?

  Low-energy coastlines are sandy and estuarine, found where waves are less powerful or sheltered. These areas are characterized by deposition, leading to the formation of depositional landforms.
• What is the coast as a system?

  The coast is a dynamic system driven by wave energy, with interconnected inputs (e.g., marine, atmospheric, land, human), processes (e.g., weathering, erosion), and outputs (e.g., erosional and depositional landforms).
• What are the inputs in the coastal system?

  Inputs include marine factors (waves, tides, storm surges), atmospheric factors (weather, climate change), land factors (rock type, tectonic activity), and human activity (coastal management).
• What are the main processes in the coastal system?

  The main processes include weathering, mass movement, erosion, transport, and deposition.
• What are the outputs of the coastal system?

  Outputs include erosional landforms, depositional landforms, and different types of coasts.
• What is the littoral zone?

  The littoral zone is the dynamic coastal area where the sea meets the land. It includes the backshore and foreshore, and is influenced by both short-term (waves, tides, storms) and long-term factors (sea-level changes, climate change).
• How does sediment supply affect the coastline?

  Sediment is produced by weathering and erosion, which is transported and deposited to create coastal landforms. For example, sediment from the Holderness cliffs moves southwards along the coast.
• What factors classify coasts?

  Coasts can be classified based on geology (rocky, sandy, estuarine), energy level (high or low energy), the balance of erosion and deposition (erosional or depositional), and sea level changes (emergent or submergent coasts).