Landscapes and features of littoral zone

What are the inputs of a coast

• Movement of sediment from waves

• Precipitation

• Wind generated waves

What are the outputs of a coast

• Eroded material taken out to sea

• Ocean currents

• Evaporation

What is the Littoral zone

Area of coast that is affected by wave action

• It’s constantly changing due to interaction between processes on land and sea

What are the 4 zones of littoral zone

• Back shore- above influence of wave actions

• Foreshore- intertidal area between low and high tide

• Nearshore- breaker zone (friction between seabed and waves cause then to break

• Offshore- area outside influence of waves

Characteristics of high energy coasts

• Destructive waves

• Higher rates of erosion than deposition

• Exposed to strong winds and long fetches

• Headlands, wave-cut platforms

Characteristics of low energy coasts

• Constructive waves

• Sheltered locations with short fetch

• Higher rates of deposition than erosion

• Beaches, spits, salt marshes

Where do rocky coasts form

Area with more resistant to geology

Where are steep cliffs found along a rocky coastline

High energy environment

Where a cliffs with gentler slope found in rocky coastline

Low energy environment

Where to coastal plains occur

• Where land gradually slopes down towards sea

• Tend to be low relief

What are coastal plain landscapes and how are they formed

• Low energy coastal environments

• Wave power isn’t strong so there’s more deposition than erosion

An example of a coastal plain landscape

The Wash