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Coastal Environments. Why does the coastline look like it does? What factors are at work?. The factors at work on a stretch of coastline include:. Atmospheric (rainfall, temperature change, global warming etc) Marine (wave action and tides, erosion, sediment transfer)
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Coastal Environments Why does the coastline look like it does? What factors are at work?
The factors at work on a stretch of coastline include: • Atmospheric (rainfall, temperature change, global warming etc) • Marine(wave action and tides, erosion, sediment transfer) • Human (sea defences, recreation, tourism, sand/gravel extraction, pollution, conservation) • Terrestrial (geology, weathering, ecosystems)
Atmospheric • wind (prevailing direction and force) • precipitation • sun • ice • impact of global warming and sea level rises
Marine factors • wave action and tides • wave type (destructive or constructive) • fetch • supply of beach material - the transfer of sediment • longshore drift
Human factors • what sea defences are there? • is the area heavily used by tourists? • is sand/gravel extracted? • is the coast protected through designation (SSSI, (Heritage Coast, National Park)? • pollution (human / industrial)?
Terrestrial factors - geology • is the rock type the same all the way along the coast? • is it a hard rock? (Chalk and limestone have strongly cemented particles that make them more resistant.) • is it a softer type of rock? (eg: clays, boulder clays.)
Terrestrial factors - weathering Sub-aerial processes: • rain falling directly on to cliffs • throughflow • surface run-off • wind • frost • mass movement (eg: soil creep, slumping and landslides)
Ecosystems and wildlife Does the coastline consist of: • sand or shingle? • lagoons? (shallow bodies of brackish or sea water separated from the sea by sediment) • salt marsh? • rocky foreshores and cliffs? • sand dunes? All can support different species…
Dynamic Equilibrium • the coastline is finely balanced, the result of the interaction of many factors • the coast is always changing – in a state of dynamic equilibrium • a stretch of coast should not be viewed in isolation – changes made to the coast in a particular place always have an impact somewhere else.
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