1.1.1 coasts as a system

Factors Affecting the Coast:

Geological: Hard rocks resist erosion; soft rocks erode faster. Weak bedding planes increase erosion.
Anthropogenic: Human activity (coastal management, urbanisation, dredging) can disrupt sediment transport and cause erosion.
Marine: Waves (destructive/constructive), tides, and currents (longshore drift) shape the coast.
Climatic: Storms increase wave energy; seasonal changes and climate change (sea-level rise) enhance erosion.
Geomorphic: Fluvial (rivers), glacial (past influences), and mass movement (slumping, rockfall) impact coastal shape.
Sub-aerial: Weathering (freeze-thaw) and wind (sand transport) weaken cliffs.
Biotic: Vegetation stabilises dunes; coral reefs protect coasts. Human damage can weaken natural defences.
Tectonics: Uplift and submergence change coastal features, creating raised beaches, rias, and fjords.

Energy Sources Driving Coastal Systems:

Solar: Drives the hydrological cycle (precipitation, river input) and wave energy.
Gravitational: Tides, influenced by the sun and moon, direct energy focus.
Geothermal: Tectonic activity causes coastal uplift and subsidence.

Coastal System Components:

Inputs: Sediment from rivers, weathering, waves, human activity.
Stores: Beaches, dunes, sediment in transport, wave energy.
Outputs: Sediment leaving system, erosional (stacks, stumps) and depositional landforms (bars, beaches).

Sediment Budget: