Coasts

Destructive Waves

• High, steep waves that erode the beach and coastline.

• They have a strong backwash that pulls material back into the sea.

• They have a weak swash, so little material is deposited.
  Result: Beach is eroded.

Constructive Waves

• Low, gentle waves that build up the beach.

• They have a strong swash (water rushing up the beach) that deposits material.

• They have a weak backwash, so little material is dragged away.
  Result: Beach builds up (deposition).

Solution (Corrosion)

When the minerals in rocks (like limestone or chalk) are dissolved by seawater, causing chemical erosion.

Backwash

The movement of water back down the beach toward the sea due to gravity.

Swash

The movement of water up the beach after a wave breaks.

Attrition

When rocks and pebbles hit each other while being transported by waves, breaking into smaller, smoother, rounder pieces over time.

Abrasion

When rocks and pebbles carried by the waves are thrown against the cliff face, wearing it away like sandpaper.

Hydraulic Action

The force of waves crashing against the coastline, trapping and compressing air in cracks.

Headland

A headland is a piece of land that sticks out into the sea, made of harder, more resistant rock.

Bay

A bay is a curved, wide inlet of the sea where the land recedes (moves inland).

Bays usually form on discordant coastlines, where soft rock is eroded faster than hard rock, creating an indentation in the coast.

Fetch

The fetch is the distance of open water over which the wind blows to create waves.

Discordant Coastline

A discordant coastline is where rock layers run at right angles (perpendicular) to the coastline.

Concordant Coastlines

A concordant coastline is where rock layers run parallel to the coastline.

Longshore Drift

Longshore drift is the transport of sediment (sand and pebbles) along the coast by waves approaching at an angle.

Wave Cut Platform

Cracks, Caves, Arches, Stacks, Stumps

Sand Dunes

Facts on Holderness

Spits

Bars