Coast case studies list
, Systems and processes:
Tides:
- Microtidal: 2m or less
- Mesotidal: 2-4m
- Macrotidal: 4m or above
High energy coast: the Portuguese west coast
- Destructive waves- steep vertical plunge and strong backwash
- Long fetch
- Meso-tidal range:2-4m
- Strong wind with high crest
o Also create longshore movement
- Divergence of the Gulf Stream into the North Atlantic Drift and the Canary Current allows large
bolumes of water being swept past the Portuguese coastline
- Much of the coastline composed of high cliffs which are easily undercut- many discordant
coastline
- e.g. headland; Cape St Vincent
Low energy coast: Chesapeake Bay, USA
- Eastern coast of notrthern USA
- Deposition>erosion
- Net gain in the sediment budget
- Morphology of the bay:
o Average depth of 9m- shallow
o Reduce wave energy
o High friction as more water is in contact with the sea bed- constructive waves
- Limited fetch
o Much of the bay is protected from the force of the Atlantic currents by land enclosing
the bay area
, Systems and processes:
Tides:
- Microtidal: 2m or less
- Mesotidal: 2-4m
- Macrotidal: 4m or above
High energy coast: the Portuguese west coast
- Destructive waves- steep vertical plunge and strong backwash
- Long fetch
- Meso-tidal range:2-4m
- Strong wind with high crest
o Also create longshore movement
- Divergence of the Gulf Stream into the North Atlantic Drift and the Canary Current allows large
bolumes of water being swept past the Portuguese coastline
- Much of the coastline composed of high cliffs which are easily undercut- many discordant
coastline
- e.g. headland; Cape St Vincent
Low energy coast: Chesapeake Bay, USA
- Eastern coast of notrthern USA
- Deposition>erosion
- Net gain in the sediment budget
- Morphology of the bay:
o Average depth of 9m- shallow
o Reduce wave energy
o High friction as more water is in contact with the sea bed- constructive waves
- Limited fetch
o Much of the bay is protected from the force of the Atlantic currents by land enclosing
the bay area
