ENQUIRY ONE
A system is a set of interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving process.
There are two types of systems, open systems and closed systems.
Open System: A system with inputs and outputs to other systems
Closed System: A system with no ‘mass’ inputs or outputs, but energy still continues to move in
and out
Coastal systems are primarily considered as open systems. This is because they have energy
and material being transferred to them as an input. These can also be transferred from the
system to another as an output. An example of this is uvial sediment, which is transported and
deposited at the mouth of the river as it loses energy.
In system terms, a coastal landscape has:
Inputs
- Kinetic energy from the wind and waves
- Thermal energy from the heat of the sun
- Potential energy from the position of material on slopes
- Material from marine deposition
- Weathering and Mass Movement from cli s
Outputs
- Marine and Wind erosion from beaches and rock surfaces
- Evaporation
Throughputs is the collective name for what happens within a system. This includes transfers
and stores.
Stores
- Beach sediment accumulations
- Nearshore sediment accumulations
- Oceanic water store
- Salt marshes
- Spits, bars and tombolos
Transfers
- Movement of sediment along the beach
- Longshore Drift
- Evaporation
- Erosion
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, INPUTS
STORES TRANSFERS
OUTPUTS
A coastal zone is the interface between the land and the sea. The part of the land a ected by its
proximity to the sea (in uence of marine processes) and the part of the sea a ected by its
proximity to the land (in uence of terrestrial processes)
There are four coastal zones, the o shore, nearshore, foreshore and back shore.
O shore: The area of water deeper than the breaker zone, although friction between the waves
and the sea bed may cause some slight distortion in the wave shape, such as rippling.
Nearshore: As the water gets shallower, friction between the seabed and the waves cause the
waves to distort in shape, starting the breaking process. The nearshore is sometimes referred to
as the breaker zone.
Foreshore: The area between the lands high tide and low tide mark
Backshore: The area of land above the high tide mark, only a ected by wave action - such as
erosion - during major storm events.
The three main sources of energy into a coastal system include:
Insolation
Gravitational energy of the sun and moon
Geothermal energy
Human activity an impact a coastal landscape. Matter can be in uenced by process such as
Beach replenishment (+) and Dredging, Digging and Dams (-). Energy can also be e ected by
humans, such as Global warming (+) - as higher temperatures can lead to the melting of ice and
as a result rising in sea levels. Wave electric power and Dams (-) can decrease the amount o
energy within a coastal landscape system.
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, Equilibrium is when the inputs and outputs to a system are equal.
Dynamic Equilibrium is when the input and outputs to a system are not equal, and so the system
tries to restore itself.
There are two types of feedback cycles within a coastal system. These are positive feedback
cycles and negative feedback cycles.
A negative feedback cycle is where the system restores itself to a state of equilibrium.
A positive feedback cycle is where the system enhances and increases the change that has
been made.
A sediment cell is a stretch of coastline and the nearshore area where the movement of material
is self contained.
- They are regarded as closed systems, as sediment is not usually transferred from cell to
another
- Each major sediment cell tends to have much smaller, sub-cells within it
- There are 11 major sediment cells across England and Wales
- Boundaries between the cells are usually determined by the shape and structure of the coast
There is some debate as to whether or not sediment cells are open or closed systems. This is
because Wind and tidal currents can be transferred from one cell to another, and sediment can be
inputted through uvial and marine deposition, and through the weathering and moss movement
of cli s.
Physical factors a ecting coastal landscapes
There are 5 main physical factors that have an e ect on coastal landscapes. These are winds,
waves, tides, geology and ocean currents.
Wind is the movement of air, caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the
Earth's own rotation
Speed
- The higher the speed, the greater the energy transfer to waves
- Increased wind speeds leads to an increase in aeolian erosion and transportation
- Increases processes such as erosion
Direction
- Wind direction in uences the direction of longshore drift
- Direction can determine the fetch, and therefore the distance
Frequency
- Frequency could be interpreted as duration
- Increases the extent of erosion
- May produce much stronger waves if very consistent
ff flflff ff
A system is a set of interrelated parts that work together by way of some driving process.
There are two types of systems, open systems and closed systems.
Open System: A system with inputs and outputs to other systems
Closed System: A system with no ‘mass’ inputs or outputs, but energy still continues to move in
and out
Coastal systems are primarily considered as open systems. This is because they have energy
and material being transferred to them as an input. These can also be transferred from the
system to another as an output. An example of this is uvial sediment, which is transported and
deposited at the mouth of the river as it loses energy.
In system terms, a coastal landscape has:
Inputs
- Kinetic energy from the wind and waves
- Thermal energy from the heat of the sun
- Potential energy from the position of material on slopes
- Material from marine deposition
- Weathering and Mass Movement from cli s
Outputs
- Marine and Wind erosion from beaches and rock surfaces
- Evaporation
Throughputs is the collective name for what happens within a system. This includes transfers
and stores.
Stores
- Beach sediment accumulations
- Nearshore sediment accumulations
- Oceanic water store
- Salt marshes
- Spits, bars and tombolos
Transfers
- Movement of sediment along the beach
- Longshore Drift
- Evaporation
- Erosion
ff fl
, INPUTS
STORES TRANSFERS
OUTPUTS
A coastal zone is the interface between the land and the sea. The part of the land a ected by its
proximity to the sea (in uence of marine processes) and the part of the sea a ected by its
proximity to the land (in uence of terrestrial processes)
There are four coastal zones, the o shore, nearshore, foreshore and back shore.
O shore: The area of water deeper than the breaker zone, although friction between the waves
and the sea bed may cause some slight distortion in the wave shape, such as rippling.
Nearshore: As the water gets shallower, friction between the seabed and the waves cause the
waves to distort in shape, starting the breaking process. The nearshore is sometimes referred to
as the breaker zone.
Foreshore: The area between the lands high tide and low tide mark
Backshore: The area of land above the high tide mark, only a ected by wave action - such as
erosion - during major storm events.
The three main sources of energy into a coastal system include:
Insolation
Gravitational energy of the sun and moon
Geothermal energy
Human activity an impact a coastal landscape. Matter can be in uenced by process such as
Beach replenishment (+) and Dredging, Digging and Dams (-). Energy can also be e ected by
humans, such as Global warming (+) - as higher temperatures can lead to the melting of ice and
as a result rising in sea levels. Wave electric power and Dams (-) can decrease the amount o
energy within a coastal landscape system.
ff flfl ff ff fl ff ff ff
, Equilibrium is when the inputs and outputs to a system are equal.
Dynamic Equilibrium is when the input and outputs to a system are not equal, and so the system
tries to restore itself.
There are two types of feedback cycles within a coastal system. These are positive feedback
cycles and negative feedback cycles.
A negative feedback cycle is where the system restores itself to a state of equilibrium.
A positive feedback cycle is where the system enhances and increases the change that has
been made.
A sediment cell is a stretch of coastline and the nearshore area where the movement of material
is self contained.
- They are regarded as closed systems, as sediment is not usually transferred from cell to
another
- Each major sediment cell tends to have much smaller, sub-cells within it
- There are 11 major sediment cells across England and Wales
- Boundaries between the cells are usually determined by the shape and structure of the coast
There is some debate as to whether or not sediment cells are open or closed systems. This is
because Wind and tidal currents can be transferred from one cell to another, and sediment can be
inputted through uvial and marine deposition, and through the weathering and moss movement
of cli s.
Physical factors a ecting coastal landscapes
There are 5 main physical factors that have an e ect on coastal landscapes. These are winds,
waves, tides, geology and ocean currents.
Wind is the movement of air, caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the
Earth's own rotation
Speed
- The higher the speed, the greater the energy transfer to waves
- Increased wind speeds leads to an increase in aeolian erosion and transportation
- Increases processes such as erosion
Direction
- Wind direction in uences the direction of longshore drift
- Direction can determine the fetch, and therefore the distance
Frequency
- Frequency could be interpreted as duration
- Increases the extent of erosion
- May produce much stronger waves if very consistent
ff flflff ff
