they are areas of the foreshore that are raised above the adjacent shore that dips into a runnel.
Sediment size
affects the beach profile through its percolation rate.
e.g. Shingles and pebbles allow rapid infiltration and percolaction so the impact of swash and backwash are reduced.
Feedback loops
The costal systems has mechanisms which enhance changes in a system, taking it away from dynamic equilibrium, taking the system back towards equilibrium.
negative feedback loop
this lessens any change that has occurred within the system .
examples of negative feedback loop
a storm could erode a large amount of beach, tasking the beach out of dynamic equilibrium as there is larger input of sediment into the system than output. the negative feedback loop will balance this excess of inputted sediment.
positive feedback
This exaggerates the change making the system more unstable and taking away from dynamic equilibrium.
examples of positive feedback
. people walking over sand dunes destroys vegetation growing there causing erosion.
The littoral zone
It’s the are of the coast where land is subject to wave action. It’s constantly changing and varies due to
. Short-term changes (storm surges and tides)
. Long-term factors ( changes in sea level and climate change)
