Knowledge Organiser: Coastal Processes and Landforms
Part of Coastal Processes and Landforms · GCSE GCSE Geography revision
This topic summary covers Knowledge Organiser: Coastal Processes and Landforms within Coastal Processes and Landforms for GCSE Geography. Revise Coastal Processes and Landforms in Physical Landscapes in the UK for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 22 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 14 of 14 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 14 of 14
Practice
15 questions
Recall
22 flashcards
Knowledge Organiser: Coastal Processes and Landforms
Key Terms
- Fetch — distance of open water; determines wave energy
- Constructive wave — strong swash; builds beaches (6–8/min)
- Destructive wave — strong backwash; erodes coasts (10–14/min)
- Longshore drift — zigzag sediment movement along coast
- Wave-cut notch — groove at cliff base; precedes collapse
- Spit — ridge extending from coast change; curved tip = wave refraction
- Sediment budget — balance of sediment supply; management upstream affects coast downstream
Erosion Processes (HASA)
- Hydraulic action — air compression in cracks; pressure release fractures rock
- Abrasion — sediment as sandpaper; grinds cliff base and wave-cut platform
- Solution — acid seawater dissolves limestone and chalk
- Attrition — sediment particles round each other in transport (NOT cliff erosion)
Holderness Coast Key Facts
- East Yorkshire; 60 km from Flamborough Head to Spurn Head
- Fastest-eroding coast in Europe: average 1.7 m/year
- Cliffs: soft boulder clay — glacial deposit; no internal structure
- No beach — longshore drift removes sediment southward (~500,000 t/year)
- North Sea fetch: up to 700 km; high-energy destructive waves
- Mappleton protected (1991, £2 million rock armour + groynes)
- Consequence: increased erosion south of Mappleton — sediment budget disrupted
- 30+ villages lost since Roman times; Spurn Head spit fed by eroded material
Landform Formation Summary
- Wave-cut platform: notch → overhang → collapse → platform; widens as cliff retreats
- Headland and bay: differential erosion; hard rock remains; soft rock eroded back
- Cave → arch → stack → stump: hydraulic action exploits joint → breaks through → roof collapses → pillar → low platform
- Spit: longshore drift past coast direction change → deposition in open water → curved tip from wave refraction
- Bar: spit extending across a bay; encloses a lagoon
- Tombolo: deposition connecting mainland to island (e.g. Chesil Beach/Portland)
Common Mistakes
- Confusing constructive and destructive waves: Constructive waves have strong swash and build beaches (6–8 per minute); destructive waves have strong backwash and erode coasts (10–14 per minute) — frequency is a key distinguishing fact
- Saying attrition erodes cliffs: Attrition is sediment particles wearing each other down during transport — it does NOT erode cliff faces; abrasion and hydraulic action erode cliffs
- Forgetting the sediment budget at Holderness: The Mappleton groynes (1991) stopped sediment reaching areas south — increased erosion south of Mappleton is a direct consequence; management in one place harms another
- Omitting wave refraction in spit descriptions: The curved tip of a spit is caused by wave refraction bending waves around the end of the spit — this detail is needed for full marks on formation questions
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Practice Questions for Coastal Processes and Landforms
Which of the following best describes a destructive wave?
Explain how hydraulic action erodes a cliff face. [2 marks]
Quick Recall Flashcards
15 questions on Coastal Processes and Landforms — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 22 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
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