Coasts as Natural systems

Inputs

• Marine

• Energy

• Geological

• Atmosphere

• People

Marine

Waves, tides and currents

Energy

Kinetic energy from waves and winds

Thermal energy from the sun

Potential energy from material on cliffs/ slopes of material from the process of weathering, mass movement, erosion and deposition

Stores/components

Costal outputs

• Landforms of erosion

• Landforms of deposition

Landforms of erosion

Cracks, caves, stacks, stumps, wave cut platforms and blowholes

Landforms of deposition

Beaches, spits, tombolos, san dunes and salt marshes

Negative feedback

Positive feedback

Dynamic equilibrium

• if inputs and outputs within a costal system are the same, then a state of equilibrium exists. An example of this would be when the rate of sediment being added to a beach is the same size. If something happens then the break this equilibrium the system will change to restore the equilibrium. This is known as dynamic equilibrium as the system responds to the disturbance.

positive feedback

When an initial change in the system brings about further change in the same direction this is known as positive feedback.

Negative feedback

When a system returns to equilibrium following a change in the system this is known as negative feedback.

Landforms and Landscapes

Landforms are shaped and created by a natural process, such as tectonic plate movement and erosion. Natural landscapes are made up of a verity of landforms