Coasts
Coasts are dynamic places which are constantly changing. 80% of the world population live on
the coast. It is a popular place to live due to climate, water availability, arable land for
agriculture and industry, access to transport systems and infrastructure and recreational
opportunities.
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and is the only one of the top six surrounded by
water equating to 36,735km of coast. 9 out of 10 Australians live within 50km of the coast. Thus,
ensuring the sustainability of our coasts is paramount by understanding and managing the
changes that are occurring within these environments. Changes can be caused by a range of
natural processes and human-induced impacts. We will spend the next 2 weeks studying these.
Natural Processes
There are many natural processes essential to the functioning of coasts. Waves, swells, tides, currents, rips,
swash, backwash, longshore drift, storm surges and tsunamis constantly transform and form coastal
landscapes through the natural processes of:
1) Erosion: the weathering and removal of rocks and soils by the action of water, waves, wind or ice.
2) Deposition: the laying down of sediment carried by wind, flowing water or the sea.
3) Transportation: the movement of material in the sea and along the coast by waves E.g. longshore
drift.
The image on the next page shows a range of coastal landforms that have been created by natural
processes. Annotate the image using the information listed here.
1) Erosion
Erosion is the weathering and removal of rocks and
soils by the action of water, waves, wind or ice.
Coastal landforms, beaches and dunes are
transformed by erosion through:
Hydraulic action: the sheer power of the waves as
they smash against the cliff
Abrasion: when pebbles grind along a rock surface
Solution: when sea water dissolves certain types
of rocks
Destructive waves which occur during storm
conditions (Figure 2). Destructive waves have more powerful backwash than swash. Also called
‘destroyers’
Erosional landforms include headlands, bays, cliffs, platforms, caves, arches, blowholes and stacks.
Headlands and Bays: harder rocks or rocks with fewer fractures
form headlands that tend to resist erosion. Bays are composed of
softer rocks or rocks with more fractures that are more easily
eroded. This causes the coastline to retreat to create a bay.
Platforms and cliffs: platforms are flat, rocky, horizontal structures
that have been worn down by waves. Cliffs are raised, rocky
structures.
Caves, blowholes, arches and stacks: caves are parts of the coast
that have been more actively eroded from surrounding areas,
leaving a hollow part. When the roof of a cave collapses, incoming
waves may channel water upwards, forming a blowhole. Stacks are
remnants of cliff areas that have resisted erosion and been left
stranded in the sea.
2) Deposition
Deposition is the laying down of sediment carried by
wind, water or ice.
Coastal landforms, beaches and dunes are formed
through deposition when:
Sediments are transported down rivers to the
river mouth and deposited on the beach
Sediments are eroded from cliffs and deposited
Constructive waves appear at beaches during
calm weather (Figure 3). Constructive waves have a
more powerful swash than backwash. Also called
‘builders’
Depositional landforms include sand dunes, sand bars, spits, and tombolos. A fore dune is one formed
close to the beach; further from the shore, a back dune develops. Between the fore dune and the back
dune, a depression will form where dune vegetation develops to stabilise the sand and the landforms.
Review Questions
Use the information above and the glossary at the end of this document to answer the questions.
1. Outline the three main natural processes that form and transform coastal landforms.
2. Watch how waves are formed and describe the key points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_LfcaKhASA
3. Study Figure 1 above. Explain how a landform may transform from a headland, to a cave, arch and
then a stack.
4. Outline the difference between constructive and destructive waves. Refer to swash and backwash
in your answer. Which one would you be safer to swim in?
5. Watch the video on longshore drift and explain the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=U9EhVa4MmEs
6. Study Source 7.3 below. List 3 various ways sand is deposited onto the beach (hint: see the purple
arrows) and 3 ways sand is eroded (orange arrows).
7. Study Source 7.5 below. Explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium.
8. Select 2 coastal landforms depicted in Figure 1 that are formed through erosion and 2 that are
formed through deposition. Find pictures illustrating these landforms along Australia’s coast.
Glossary
Definition Image
Wave: movement of water in a circular motion
caused by energy passing through the water
Swell: a series of regular waves, over a long
period generated by distant weather systems.
Fetch: the length of water over which a given wind
has blown without obstruction.
Tides: long-period waves that move through the
ocean in response to the forces exerted by the
moon and sun
Currents: continuous, predictable, directional
movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind and
water density
Rips: a strong localised current that flows away
from the shoreline toward the ocean,
perpendicular or at an acute angle to the
shoreline
Swash: the water that is washed onto the beach
when a wave breaks
Backwash: the water that runs back down the
beach.
Longshore drift: occurs when the ongoing swash
and backwash moves in a sideways direction due
to prevailing winds, and moves material in a zig
zag pattern along the coastline.
