Coastal systems &
Landscapes
Physical Geography
Introduction...............................................................................................................................01
Sources of sediment in a coastal system..................................................................................02
Sediment Cells and Sediment
Budgets.....................................................................................03
How wind creates
waves...........................................................................................................05
How tides are created...............................................................................................................07
How ocean currents
work..........................................................................................................08
Weathering................................................................................................................................10
Mass movement........................................................................................................................12
Erosion, transportation and
deposition......................................................................................14
Coastal
deposition.....................................................................................................................16
Coastal erosion.........................................................................................................................19
Coastal features and coastal landscape...................................................................................21
Sand dune formation.................................................................................................................22
How succession works..............................................................................................................23
Sand dune succession..............................................................................................................24
Mudflats and
Saltmarshes.........................................................................................................25
Mudflat/Saltmarsh Succession..................................................................................................26
Types of Sea Level Change......................................................................................................26
Features of Submergent and Emergent coastlines...................................................................30
Hard
engineering.......................................................................................................................31
Soft engineering........................................................................................................................33
Shoreline Management.............................................................................................................35
Integrated Coastal
Zone............................................................................................................36
Case Studies.............................................................................................................................37
Skills..........................................................................................................................................46
, INTRODUCTION
● Coastal Zones are dynamic environments
● Coastal landscapes develop by the interaction of wind, waves, currents and
terrestrial and marine sediments.
Landforms that are created in a coastal landscape originate from two main sources: energy
and sediment.
Energy - sources of energy are required to bring about change and be able to modify the
coastal landscape.
Sediment - plays a role in certain processes of erosion and cycles around a system to form
stores of deposition.
Key sources of energy:
● Wind
● Tides
● Currents
Factors affecting the coastline:
Marine:
● Movement of sediment
● Types of waves - destructive (eroding) + constructive (depositing)
Atmospheric:
● Precipitation - affect the strength and direction of waves
● Prevailing wind - affect the strength and direction of waves
● Acid rain - leads to chemical weathering
Human:
● Coastal defences - hard and soft engineering
● Developments - e.g. hotels
● Industry
● Tourism
Terrestrial:
1
, ● Rock type (geology) - resistant or susceptible (to erosion)
● Vegetation - e.g. mangrove trees
● Plate tectonics - tsunamis + earthquakes
Sources of sediment in a coastal
system
How sediment is brought into the coastal system:
Rivers -
● rivers can bring in clastic sediments (weathered rock) into the coastal system.
● Subaerial processes (e.g. freeze thaw weathering) at the river’s source will have
added material to the river channel and over time due to attrition and solution within
the river the material reduces in size and is deposited at the river mouth.
Littoral Longshore Drift -
● Sediment can be moved along the coast and is integral in the formation of
depositional coastal landforms.
Currents -
● Sediment can also be carried towards the coastline by currents excavating sea floor
stores of sediment under high energy conditions and moving it towards the coastline.
Mass Movement -
● Sediment can also come from mass movement of cliffs along the coastline.
● At high tide, energy may attack the cliffs, eroding material (processes of abrasion,
hydraulic action and quarrying).
● This material may be moved into the marine current zone by wave backwash across
beaches to be carried away and deposited elsewhere.
Biogenic Sediments -
● Sediments from dead sea creatures (often shell and skeletal fragments) also
contribute to the sediment load.
Human -
2
, ● Sediment can be provided by human intervention e.g. soft engineering strategies
(beach nourishment).
Glaciers -
● Glacial deposits can provide sediment e.g. Holderness Coast
Sediment Cells and Sediment
Budgets
Sediment Cells:
Definition: A sediment cell is an area along the coast separated from other areas by well
defined boundaries. A sediment cell is self-contained and is considered closed systems.
● Sediment cells are often determined by the topography and shape of the coastline -
this directs the movement of the sediment within the cell.
● The boundaries of sediment cells tend to be headlands, river estuaries and deep
stretches of water. These act as natural barriers to stop further movement of
sediment.
● Changes in wind direction and movements of ocean currents can affect some of the
sediment under high-energy conditions.
○ This could cause some sediment to move offshore into long-term ocean floor
stores of sediment.
● There are 11 large sediment cells in England and Wales but these can be further
broken down into smaller cells.
○ Defining sediment cells can help consideration of coastal processes as a
system and assist coastal management plans.
○ This illustrates the links between inputs, components, stores, transfers and
outputs - human intervention in a coastal system is likely to have
repercussions elsewhere in the system e.g. building coastal defences.
Sub-cells:
● Large sediment cells can be broken
down into smaller sub-cells.
● This allows closer study and
management of a specific area e.g.
between two headlands.
3
Landscapes
Physical Geography
Introduction...............................................................................................................................01
Sources of sediment in a coastal system..................................................................................02
Sediment Cells and Sediment
Budgets.....................................................................................03
How wind creates
waves...........................................................................................................05
How tides are created...............................................................................................................07
How ocean currents
work..........................................................................................................08
Weathering................................................................................................................................10
Mass movement........................................................................................................................12
Erosion, transportation and
deposition......................................................................................14
Coastal
deposition.....................................................................................................................16
Coastal erosion.........................................................................................................................19
Coastal features and coastal landscape...................................................................................21
Sand dune formation.................................................................................................................22
How succession works..............................................................................................................23
Sand dune succession..............................................................................................................24
Mudflats and
Saltmarshes.........................................................................................................25
Mudflat/Saltmarsh Succession..................................................................................................26
Types of Sea Level Change......................................................................................................26
Features of Submergent and Emergent coastlines...................................................................30
Hard
engineering.......................................................................................................................31
Soft engineering........................................................................................................................33
Shoreline Management.............................................................................................................35
Integrated Coastal
Zone............................................................................................................36
Case Studies.............................................................................................................................37
Skills..........................................................................................................................................46
, INTRODUCTION
● Coastal Zones are dynamic environments
● Coastal landscapes develop by the interaction of wind, waves, currents and
terrestrial and marine sediments.
Landforms that are created in a coastal landscape originate from two main sources: energy
and sediment.
Energy - sources of energy are required to bring about change and be able to modify the
coastal landscape.
Sediment - plays a role in certain processes of erosion and cycles around a system to form
stores of deposition.
Key sources of energy:
● Wind
● Tides
● Currents
Factors affecting the coastline:
Marine:
● Movement of sediment
● Types of waves - destructive (eroding) + constructive (depositing)
Atmospheric:
● Precipitation - affect the strength and direction of waves
● Prevailing wind - affect the strength and direction of waves
● Acid rain - leads to chemical weathering
Human:
● Coastal defences - hard and soft engineering
● Developments - e.g. hotels
● Industry
● Tourism
Terrestrial:
1
, ● Rock type (geology) - resistant or susceptible (to erosion)
● Vegetation - e.g. mangrove trees
● Plate tectonics - tsunamis + earthquakes
Sources of sediment in a coastal
system
How sediment is brought into the coastal system:
Rivers -
● rivers can bring in clastic sediments (weathered rock) into the coastal system.
● Subaerial processes (e.g. freeze thaw weathering) at the river’s source will have
added material to the river channel and over time due to attrition and solution within
the river the material reduces in size and is deposited at the river mouth.
Littoral Longshore Drift -
● Sediment can be moved along the coast and is integral in the formation of
depositional coastal landforms.
Currents -
● Sediment can also be carried towards the coastline by currents excavating sea floor
stores of sediment under high energy conditions and moving it towards the coastline.
Mass Movement -
● Sediment can also come from mass movement of cliffs along the coastline.
● At high tide, energy may attack the cliffs, eroding material (processes of abrasion,
hydraulic action and quarrying).
● This material may be moved into the marine current zone by wave backwash across
beaches to be carried away and deposited elsewhere.
Biogenic Sediments -
● Sediments from dead sea creatures (often shell and skeletal fragments) also
contribute to the sediment load.
Human -
2
, ● Sediment can be provided by human intervention e.g. soft engineering strategies
(beach nourishment).
Glaciers -
● Glacial deposits can provide sediment e.g. Holderness Coast
Sediment Cells and Sediment
Budgets
Sediment Cells:
Definition: A sediment cell is an area along the coast separated from other areas by well
defined boundaries. A sediment cell is self-contained and is considered closed systems.
● Sediment cells are often determined by the topography and shape of the coastline -
this directs the movement of the sediment within the cell.
● The boundaries of sediment cells tend to be headlands, river estuaries and deep
stretches of water. These act as natural barriers to stop further movement of
sediment.
● Changes in wind direction and movements of ocean currents can affect some of the
sediment under high-energy conditions.
○ This could cause some sediment to move offshore into long-term ocean floor
stores of sediment.
● There are 11 large sediment cells in England and Wales but these can be further
broken down into smaller cells.
○ Defining sediment cells can help consideration of coastal processes as a
system and assist coastal management plans.
○ This illustrates the links between inputs, components, stores, transfers and
outputs - human intervention in a coastal system is likely to have
repercussions elsewhere in the system e.g. building coastal defences.
Sub-cells:
● Large sediment cells can be broken
down into smaller sub-cells.
● This allows closer study and
management of a specific area e.g.
between two headlands.
3
