Year 10 - Geography
The role of climate, marine and sub-aerial processes in coastal erosion
Coastal landscapes
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit teaches pupils about coastal processes and landforms. Pupils will learn about the physical processes operating at the coast and about the formation of distinctive landforms of coastal erosion and deposition. Pupils will also learn about the importance and options of coastal management.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the role climate, marine and sub-aerial processes play in coastal erosion.
Key Notes
- Climate (seasonality, storm frequency, prevailing winds) affects the rate of erosion along coastal landscapes.
- Marine processes (destructive waves) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.
- Sub-aerial processes (mass movement, weathering) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.
Vocabulary To Learn
- erosion: the wearing away of rocks along the coastline
- constructive wave: low-energy waves that result in the buildup of sediment along the coastline
- destructive wave: high-energy waves that result in the removal of sediment along the coastline
- weathering: the breaking down or dissolving of rocks through plants, animals and weather
- mass movement: downhill movement of sediment due to gravity
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Swash is when a wave moves down the beach to the sea and backwash is when a wave moves up the beach from the sea.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Climate (seasonality, storm frequency, prevailing winds) affects the rate of erosion along coastal landscapes. Marine processes (destructive waves) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'erosion'
the wearing away of rocks along the coastline.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: Swash is when a wave moves down the beach to the sea and backwash is when a wave moves up the beach from the sea. Correction: The swash is the movement of the wave from the sea to the beach which brings sediment with it. Whereas the backwash is the movement of the wave from the beach to sea.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Change in a named coastal landscape Study Guide
- Costs and benefits of management strategies Study Guide
- Risks from coastal flooding Study Guide
- The effect of human activities on coastal landscapes Study Guide
- The influence of sediment transportation and deposition on coastal landscapes Study Guide
- The role of geology in coastal erosion Study Guide
- Using GIS to visualise the impact of physical and human processes on coasts Study Guide
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