coasts

• Coastal landforms


  • Headlands & bays
  • Caves
  • Arches
  • Stacks
  • Wave-cut platforms
  • Cliffs
• Soft rock


  • Easily eroded by the sea
  • Leads to formation of bays
• Hard rock


  • Resistant to erosion
  • Leads to formation of headlands, cliffs, wave-cut platforms, caves, arches, and stacks
• Headland formation


  1. Soft rock erodes faster than hard rock

  2. Leaving hard rock protruding as a headland
• Bay formation


  1. Soft rock erodes faster than hard rock

  2. Leaving a sheltered bay between headlands
• Coastal flooding can occur when sea levels rise or storms become more frequent and severe due to climate change
• Coastal erosion can be caused by a variety of processes including hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and solution
• Subaerial processes like weathering and mass movement can also contribute to coastal erosion
• Depositional landforms like beaches, spits, and bars are formed where wave energy decreases and deposition occurs
• Coastal geology, with its varying resistance to erosion, influences the development of different coastal landforms
• Concordant coastlines have bands of rock running parallel to the coast, while discordant coastlines have bands running perpendicular
• Waves are formed by wind blowing over large bodies of water, and their size depends on wind strength, duration, and fetch
• Constructive waves deposit material and build up beaches, while destructive waves erode the coast
• Longshore drift transports material along the coast, while onshore-offshore movement of sediment shapes the beach profile
• Human activities like coastal development, industry, and agriculture can impact coastal processes and landforms
• Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of coastal flooding and erosion
• Coastal management strategies


  • Soft engineering (beach nourishment, dune regeneration, etc.)
  • Hard engineering (sea walls, rock armour, groynes, etc.)
  • Managed realignment
• Coastal management aims to protect coastal communities and environments while minimising negative impacts on natural processes