This resource is a set of revision notes on the CCEA GCSE topic of coastal environments. It includes subtopics such as types of waves; fetch; swash and backwash; coastal erosion; longshore drift; coastal deposition; coastal landforms (headlands, cliffs, wave cut platforms, caves, arches, stacks, st...
Headlands-‐
areas
of
land
along
the
coast
that
extent
out
to
sea
and
are
usually
higher
than
the
surrounding
land.
Forms
when…
1. Bands
of
hard,
resistant
rock
(e.g.
basalt)
and
soft,
less
resistant
rock
(e.g.
limestone)
are
found
in
same
coastal
area
2. Destructive
waves
erode
softer
rock
faster
than
more
resistant
rock
3. The
harder,
resistant
rock
is
left
sticking
out
to
sea
while
the
soft
rock
erodes
into
a
bay
where
sand
will
be
deposited
E.g.
Fairhead
headland
near
Ballycastle,
Durlston
head,
near
Swanage,
England
Cliffs-‐
a
vertical
rock
face
along
a
coast
Formation…
1. Shape
of
cliff
determined
by
rock
type
(geology)
2. Type
of
rock
determines
how
resistant
it
is
to
erosion,
and
way
layers
(strata)
of
rock
are
angled
can
determine
shape
of
cliff
3. If
rock
is
hard,
tall,
dramatic
cliffs
can
form
that
are
more
resistant
to
erosion.
E.g.
cliffs
of
Moher,
County
Clare,
Ireland
4. If
rock
is
soft,
such
as
made
of
boulder
clay,
erosion
will
be
faster
and
the
cliff
will
wear
away
more
quickly.
E.g.
Holderness
coast,
England
Wave
cut
platforms-‐
a
narrow,
flat
area
of
rock
normally
found
at
the
base
of
a
cliff,
formed
due
to
erosion.
Formation…
1. Corrosion
and
Hydraulic
action
through
wave
action,
cut
a
notch
at
the
base
of
cliff-‐
creating
point
of
weakness
2. Rock
above
the
notch
is
undercut
and
a
section
of
cliff
breaks
off
3. Rubble
collects
at
foot
of
cliff
and
will
get
removed
by
attrition
4. This
repeats,
the
cliff
wears
back
and
a
wave
cut
platform
develops
underwater,
which
you
can
see
at
low
tide.
As
cliff
is
worn
back
further,
the
wave
cut
platform
gets
wider.
Caves,
arches
and
stacks
Cave-‐
joints
and
cracks
are
eroded
by
waves
to
form
large
gaps
in
the
cliff
Formation…
1. Many
rocks
in
cliffs
(e.g.
limestone)
contain
faults
and
joints.
2. These
areas
of
weakness
will
be
opened
up
by
waves
pounding
at
the
cliff
and
minerals
will
dissolve
(corrosion).
3. Air
gets
compressed
in
the
cracks
and
they
may
enlarge
through
hydraulic
pressure.
4. Over
time
cracks
get
so
big
they
become
caves
Arch-‐
a
hole
that
extends
right
through
a
cliff
headland
Formation…
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