Coastal Landscapes
1a. Coastal landscapes can be viewed as systems
The components of coastal landscape systems including energy flows:
- System: Set of interrelated objects comprising components (stores) and processes (links)
connected together to form a working unit or unified whole.
- Coastal landscape systems store and transfer energy and material on time scales - vary from few
days to millennia (1000s of yrs.)
Coast = open system - energy and matter cross boundary of system to surrounding environment. It has:
- Inputs: incl. kinetic energy (wind/waves), thermal energy (Sun) and potential energy (position of
material on slopes; material from marine deposition, weathering and mass movement from cliffs).
- Outputs: incl. marine and wind erosion from beaches and rock surfaces; evaporation.
- Processes: consist of stores, - beach and nearshore sediment accumulations; and flows
(transfers)-movement of sediment along a beach by LSD.
When inputs and outputs of system are equal - state of equilibrium. Coasts are dynamic places and
equilibrium often disturbed, resulting in dynamic equilibrium. System undergoes self-regulation and
changes form to restore equilibrium – dynamic equilibrium. System produces own response to disturbance
= -ve feedback (system returned to its normal functioning).
Or +ve feedback (initial change bringing about further change in the same direction)
Change occurs to upset balance of system; coast: landslides, storms or human activity
SEDIMENT CELL: Stretch of coastline and associated nearshore area within which movement of coarse
sediment, sand and shingle largely self-contained. Generally regarded as closed systems (no sediment
transferred from one cell to another).
- 11 large sediment cells around coast of England e.g. Portland Bill-Land’s End & Flamborough
Head-The Wash.
- Unlikely that sediment cells completely closed - variations in wind direction and presence of tidal
currents, inevitable that some sediment transferred b/n neighbouring cells.
- Also sub-cells of smaller scale existing within major cells e.g. the Flamborough Head-Humber
Estuary sub-cell is part of larger Flamborough Head-The Wash cell.
1a. Coastal landscapes can be viewed as systems
The components of coastal landscape systems including energy flows:
- System: Set of interrelated objects comprising components (stores) and processes (links)
connected together to form a working unit or unified whole.
- Coastal landscape systems store and transfer energy and material on time scales - vary from few
days to millennia (1000s of yrs.)
Coast = open system - energy and matter cross boundary of system to surrounding environment. It has:
- Inputs: incl. kinetic energy (wind/waves), thermal energy (Sun) and potential energy (position of
material on slopes; material from marine deposition, weathering and mass movement from cliffs).
- Outputs: incl. marine and wind erosion from beaches and rock surfaces; evaporation.
- Processes: consist of stores, - beach and nearshore sediment accumulations; and flows
(transfers)-movement of sediment along a beach by LSD.
When inputs and outputs of system are equal - state of equilibrium. Coasts are dynamic places and
equilibrium often disturbed, resulting in dynamic equilibrium. System undergoes self-regulation and
changes form to restore equilibrium – dynamic equilibrium. System produces own response to disturbance
= -ve feedback (system returned to its normal functioning).
Or +ve feedback (initial change bringing about further change in the same direction)
Change occurs to upset balance of system; coast: landslides, storms or human activity
SEDIMENT CELL: Stretch of coastline and associated nearshore area within which movement of coarse
sediment, sand and shingle largely self-contained. Generally regarded as closed systems (no sediment
transferred from one cell to another).
- 11 large sediment cells around coast of England e.g. Portland Bill-Land’s End & Flamborough
Head-The Wash.
- Unlikely that sediment cells completely closed - variations in wind direction and presence of tidal
currents, inevitable that some sediment transferred b/n neighbouring cells.
- Also sub-cells of smaller scale existing within major cells e.g. the Flamborough Head-Humber
Estuary sub-cell is part of larger Flamborough Head-The Wash cell.
