Summary Coastal Environments (Coastal Landforms) - CIE Geography As & A Level

Friday, 8 February 2019

COASTAL ENV. - COASTAL LANDFORMS


EROSIONAL LANDFORMS:

- The nature of the eroded coastline is determined by:

• Direction, strength and frequency of waves

• Geology of the coastline (rock type and rock structure)

- Landforms include:
LANDFORMS PRODUCED BY RISING SEA LEVELS:
• Cliffs

• Wave-cut platforms - Historic sea level changes:

• Caves • Sea level is currently at the highest its ever been
• Arches • There have been huge fluctuations in sea level over
history
• Stacks
- Why does sea level change?
• Blowholes
• Eustatic (worldwide) changes:
- Caused by climate change
DEPOSITIONAL LANDFORMS:
- Glacial periods are largely responsible
- Landforms include:
- Thermal expansion during warm periods
• Beaches
• Isostatic (localised) changes:
• Spits
- Smaller scale processes that cause the
• Bars
depression or elevation of the earth’c crust (in
• Tombolos that place)

• Offshore bars - Could be melting of a local ice cap, deposition
of delta sediments or tectonic changes
• Barrier Islands
- Landforms include:
• Coastal sand dunes
• Rias
• Coastal salt marshes
• Fjords
• Mangroves
• Dalmation coastlines


LANDFORMS PRODUCED BY FALLING SEA LEVELS:

- Landforms include:
• Raised beaches NOTE: This is also known as coastal emergence

• Emerged plains

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