Edexcel A level Geography Coasts June
2024 Exam Questions and Answers
Littoral Zone - Answer>>Area of shoreline where land is subject
to wave action
Littoral Zone Subdivisions - Answer>>- Offshore
- Nearshore
- Foreshore
- Backshore
- Beach
Offshore - Answer>>Where waves begin to break in the deeper
water. Friction between the waves and the sea bed may cause
some distortion of the wave shape.
Nearshore - Answer>>Friction between the seabed and waves
distorts the wave sufficiently to cause it to break.
Possible breakpoint bar formation.
Foreshore - Answer>>The area between the high tide and the
low tide mark.
Backshore - Answer>>The area above the high tide mark,
affected by wave action only during major storm events.
Why are Littoral zones dynamic zones of rapid change? -
Answer>>Short term - Changing inputs, through flows and
outputs of energy and material. High and low tide variation, wave
energy due to weather.
Long term - Sea level variation due to climate change
Classifying Coasts - Long Term Criteria (2) - Answer>>-
Geology
,- Sea Level Change
Classifying Coasts - Geology - Answer>>- Characteristics of
land, including lithology (rock type) and structure (arrangement of
rock units).
- Used to classify coasts as cliffed, sandy, estuarine, concordant
and discordant
Cliffed Coastline (4) - Answer>>- High energy environment
- Rate of Erosion exceeds Deposition.
- High relief varying from a few meters to hundreds of meters
- Resistant Geology
Sandy Coastline (5) - Answer>>- Low Relief with Sand Dunes
and Beaches
- Less Resistant Geology
- Low energy environment
- Rate of Deposition exceeds Erosion
- Constructive waves
Estuarine Coastline (5) - Answer>>- Low Relief with Salt
Marshes and Mudflats
- Form in River Mouths
- Low energy environment
- Rate of Deposition exceeds Erosion
- Less Resistant Geology
Classifying Coasts - Sea Level Change - Answer>>- Used to
Classify Coasts as Emergent or Submergent
- Caused by eustatic/isostatic changes
- Caused by climate change
Climate Change caused by Cycles - Answer>>- Sea Levels rise
and fall in 100,000 year cycles
,- Due to Earths Orbit
- Falls for 90,000 years as ice sheets expand
- Rises for 10,000 years during interglacial periods
- Rises when all surface ice melts
Emergent Coastline - Answer>>As Sea Levels fall, coastline
land is exposed which was previously covered by the sea
Submergent Coastline - Answer>>As Sea Levels rise, the land
is covered
Concordant Coastline - Answer>>- Alternating bands of rock
that run parallel to the coastline
- Also called Dalmatian Coasts
Discordant Coastline - Answer>>- Alternating bands of rock that
run at 90 degrees to the coastline
- Also called Atlantic Coasts
Classifying Coasts - Short Term Criteria (3) - Answer>>- Energy
Inputs
- Sediment Inputs
- Advancing/Retreating
Classifying Coasts - Energy Inputs (5) - Answer>>- Used to
classify High/Low Energy Coastlines
- Waves (Main Input)
- Tides (Moon's Gravitational Pull)
- Currents
- Rivers
Classifying Coasts - Sediment Inputs - Answer>>- Sediment is
added through deposition and removed through erosion
, - Sediment Inputs received by waves and wind, tides, currents,
mass movement and tectonic processes
Classifying Coasts - Advancing/Retreating - Answer>>-
Classified as Advancing/Retreating due to processes
- Long Term Processes = Emergent/Submergent Coastline
- Short Term Processes = Eroding/Outbuilding Coastline
Outbuilding Coastline - Answer>>- Erosion < Deposition
- Net gain of sediment
- Coastline advances
Eroding Coastline - Answer>>- Erosion > Deposition
- Net loss of sediment
- Coastline retreats
Cliffed Coasts - UK - Answer>>- Occupy 1,000km of UK
coastline
- Mainly located in North and West
- High relief = 427m (Conachair Cliff, Isle of Hirtha)
- Low Relief = 3m (Chappel Porth, Cornwall)
Weathering - Answer>>Breakdown of rock in situ, and may be a
mechanical, biological or chemical process.
Erosion - Answer>>Wearing away of land due to wave action
Mass movement - Answer>>Downslope movement of material
due to the force of gravity.
Formation of Coastal Plains - Answer>>- Formed by Coastal
Accretion (Continuous net deposition causes coastline to extend
seawards)
2024 Exam Questions and Answers
Littoral Zone - Answer>>Area of shoreline where land is subject
to wave action
Littoral Zone Subdivisions - Answer>>- Offshore
- Nearshore
- Foreshore
- Backshore
- Beach
Offshore - Answer>>Where waves begin to break in the deeper
water. Friction between the waves and the sea bed may cause
some distortion of the wave shape.
Nearshore - Answer>>Friction between the seabed and waves
distorts the wave sufficiently to cause it to break.
Possible breakpoint bar formation.
Foreshore - Answer>>The area between the high tide and the
low tide mark.
Backshore - Answer>>The area above the high tide mark,
affected by wave action only during major storm events.
Why are Littoral zones dynamic zones of rapid change? -
Answer>>Short term - Changing inputs, through flows and
outputs of energy and material. High and low tide variation, wave
energy due to weather.
Long term - Sea level variation due to climate change
Classifying Coasts - Long Term Criteria (2) - Answer>>-
Geology
,- Sea Level Change
Classifying Coasts - Geology - Answer>>- Characteristics of
land, including lithology (rock type) and structure (arrangement of
rock units).
- Used to classify coasts as cliffed, sandy, estuarine, concordant
and discordant
Cliffed Coastline (4) - Answer>>- High energy environment
- Rate of Erosion exceeds Deposition.
- High relief varying from a few meters to hundreds of meters
- Resistant Geology
Sandy Coastline (5) - Answer>>- Low Relief with Sand Dunes
and Beaches
- Less Resistant Geology
- Low energy environment
- Rate of Deposition exceeds Erosion
- Constructive waves
Estuarine Coastline (5) - Answer>>- Low Relief with Salt
Marshes and Mudflats
- Form in River Mouths
- Low energy environment
- Rate of Deposition exceeds Erosion
- Less Resistant Geology
Classifying Coasts - Sea Level Change - Answer>>- Used to
Classify Coasts as Emergent or Submergent
- Caused by eustatic/isostatic changes
- Caused by climate change
Climate Change caused by Cycles - Answer>>- Sea Levels rise
and fall in 100,000 year cycles
,- Due to Earths Orbit
- Falls for 90,000 years as ice sheets expand
- Rises for 10,000 years during interglacial periods
- Rises when all surface ice melts
Emergent Coastline - Answer>>As Sea Levels fall, coastline
land is exposed which was previously covered by the sea
Submergent Coastline - Answer>>As Sea Levels rise, the land
is covered
Concordant Coastline - Answer>>- Alternating bands of rock
that run parallel to the coastline
- Also called Dalmatian Coasts
Discordant Coastline - Answer>>- Alternating bands of rock that
run at 90 degrees to the coastline
- Also called Atlantic Coasts
Classifying Coasts - Short Term Criteria (3) - Answer>>- Energy
Inputs
- Sediment Inputs
- Advancing/Retreating
Classifying Coasts - Energy Inputs (5) - Answer>>- Used to
classify High/Low Energy Coastlines
- Waves (Main Input)
- Tides (Moon's Gravitational Pull)
- Currents
- Rivers
Classifying Coasts - Sediment Inputs - Answer>>- Sediment is
added through deposition and removed through erosion
, - Sediment Inputs received by waves and wind, tides, currents,
mass movement and tectonic processes
Classifying Coasts - Advancing/Retreating - Answer>>-
Classified as Advancing/Retreating due to processes
- Long Term Processes = Emergent/Submergent Coastline
- Short Term Processes = Eroding/Outbuilding Coastline
Outbuilding Coastline - Answer>>- Erosion < Deposition
- Net gain of sediment
- Coastline advances
Eroding Coastline - Answer>>- Erosion > Deposition
- Net loss of sediment
- Coastline retreats
Cliffed Coasts - UK - Answer>>- Occupy 1,000km of UK
coastline
- Mainly located in North and West
- High relief = 427m (Conachair Cliff, Isle of Hirtha)
- Low Relief = 3m (Chappel Porth, Cornwall)
Weathering - Answer>>Breakdown of rock in situ, and may be a
mechanical, biological or chemical process.
Erosion - Answer>>Wearing away of land due to wave action
Mass movement - Answer>>Downslope movement of material
due to the force of gravity.
Formation of Coastal Plains - Answer>>- Formed by Coastal
Accretion (Continuous net deposition causes coastline to extend
seawards)
