geo

• Coast/coastline


  Where the land meets the sea
• The Malaysian Coastline is 4675 Km long
• 7 Uses of the coast

  • Fishing
  • Post/trade
  • Tourism
  • Houses
  • Agriculture/farming
  • Industry
  • Defence
• Dynamic

  Constantly changing
• 4 factors that cause coastlines to change

  • Geology
  • Climate
  • Human activity
  • Waves

  
• Erosion


  The process of the gradual wearing away of land or coastlines by natural forces such as water, wind, or ice
• 4 types of erosion


  • Attrition
  • Abrasion
  • Solution
  • Hydraulic action
• Abrasion


  Pebbles scrape along rock or land and wear it away, much like sandpaper. Over time the rock becomes smooth
• Attrition


  Rocks that the sea is carrying knock against each other. They break apart to become smaller and more rounded

  
• Solution


  Sea water dissolves certain types of rocks. In the UK, chalk and limestone cliffs are prone to this type of erosion
• Hydraulic action


  The sheer power of the waves as they smash against the cliff. Air becomes trapped in the cracks in the rock and causes the rock to break apart
• Types of transportation


  • Suspension
  • Solution
  • Traction
  • Saltation
• Deposition


  The process in which sediment (sand and rocks) are dropped, or deposited

  
• Swash


  The force of breaking waves moving up a beach. This moves in the same direction as the wind

  
• Backswash

  The movement of water down a beach by the action of gravity, usually at 90 degrees
• Prevailing wind


  The most common wind direction in any location. As wind creates waves, the waves move in the same direction as the wind
• Beach

  A strip of land that separates the sea from the mainland. Beaches consist of loose material that can vary in size from small pebbles to fine grains of sand
• Longshore drift


  A particular type of transportation where material is moved along the beach by waves and currents
• Groynes


  Structures built perpendicular to the shore to limit the movement and loss of beach material (sand and shingle)

  
• Stakeholder


  Any individual, group, or organisation that has an interest or concern in a particular issue, such as coastal management
• Spit


  An extended stretch of beach material that sticks out from the coastline. Spits are found where there is a break in the coastline, such as a river mouth or where the coastline changes direction
• Formation of a spit


  Longshore drift transports material down the coastline until it reaches a break in the coastline (e.g. a river mouth), or the coastline changes direction. Longshore drift continues in the same direction because of the prevailing wind and it starts to deposit material away from the shore. The process repeats and over time a stretch of beach material grows out from the coast. Sometime change in wind direction and wave refraction cause the end of the spit to curve creating a curved spit. The calm conditions created behind the spit because it is sheltered from the wind, can lead to the formation of salt marshes. Vegetation colonises the spit giving it more structure and over time humans might build on the new land

  
• Hard engineering methods


  • Sea wall
  • Gabions
  • Rock Armour
  • Groynes
• Hard engineering


  The use of physical structures, like sea walls or groynes, to control and manage coastal erosion and protect coastlines. Solutions that involve building structures and changing the natural beach environment. Hard engineering is more expensive, more effective but less environmentally friendly
• Soft engineering methods


  • Mangrove planting
  • Beach nourishment
  • Sand dune restoration
• Soft engineering


  The use of non-structural methods, such as beach nourishment or dune restoration, to manage and reduce coastal erosion. Soft engineering methods are less effective than hard engineering but are cheaper and more environmentally friendly
• Advancing the line


  A coastal management strategy that involves land reclamation or the construction of new barriers to combat erosion and sea-level rise

  
• Patterns in data


  • General pattern
  • Calculation
  • Specific
  • Exception
• Benefits of coral reefs

  • "The rainforests of the sea" - Coral reefs are incredibly diverse ecosystems, which host an abundance of marine wildlife. 25% of all marine wildlife rely on coral reefs.
  • Coral reefs can act as natural coastal defence by absorbing the strength of waves, this reduces coastal erosion.
  • Coral reefs are a tourist attraction and can create business and job opportunities for local people. E.g Scuba diving centres.
  • The fishing of coral reefs provides food for coastal communities
• Threats to coral reefs


  • Rising sea levels due to climate change means that the sea is becoming too deep for some coral reefs; the sunlight can't reach the algae.
  • Coral algae is very sensitive, any stress from pollution e.g Suncream in the water causes the polyps to disperse their algae in a process called bleaching.
  • Changing ocean temperatures due to climate change is making the water too warm for coral to survive, a change of 2°C causes coral bleaching.
  • Overfishing and over diving is damaging coral reefs. The balance of the ecosystem is distorted as fish number decrease. Irresponsible divers stand or remove pieces of coral.
• Greenhouse effect


  The natural process by which greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the sun, warming the planet

  
• Enhanced greenhouse effect


  The increased trapping of heat in the Earth's atmosphere due to human-caused increases in greenhouse gases, leading to global warming

  
• The greenhouse effect


  • The sun emits shortwave radiation.
  • Shortwave radiation travels through space to the edge of our atmosphere.
  • Our atmosphere protects us from many of the sun's harmful rays.
  • The edge of our atmosphere reflects some of the shortwave radiation.
  • Clouds scatter and reflect some of this shortwave radiation.
  • The remaining shortwave radiation travels towards the surface of the earth.
  • The Earth absorbs shortwave radiation. The amount depends on the colour of the surface.
  • Lighter surfaces reflect more shortwave radiation. This is called the albedo effect.
  • Throughout the day, the Earth's surface re-radiates heat as longwave radiation. This struggles to escape our atmosphere and is bounced around within our atmosphere by greenhouse gases.

  
• Greenhouse gases


  Gases in the Earth's atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane, that contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming
• Climate


  The long-term pattern of temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation in a region, often characterised by seasons
• Shortwave radiation


  Solar energy from the sun that reaches the Earth, primarily in the form of visible and ultraviolet light

  
• Longwave radiation


  Infrared radiation emitted by the Earth as it cools, which is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases, trapping heat

  
• Albedo effect


  The reflectivity of a surface, with high albedo reflecting more sunlight and heat, while low albedo absorbs heat
• Pollution


  The introduction of harmful or unwanted substances into the environment, causing damage to ecosystems and human health
• Population of Malaysia: 32.37 million