Physical geography

Coastal processes are three-fold: erosion, transportation and deposition.

Erosional processes come in four main types along the coast line. They are;

Corrosion is when salts and other materials dissolve into the rock and wear it away chemically- limestone is especially suseptible to this type of erosion.

Abrasion/Corrasion is when the waves throw pebbles or stones at the rocks along the coastline wearing them away.

Attrition is when stones and pebbles collide with each other wearing them away, eventually they break down into sand sized particles.

Hydralic action is the sheer weight and impact of waves crashing against the coast line and breaking pieces off. It also traps air ,by the force of the waves, into cracks in the rock. This compression puts pressure on the crack, and over time the rock will break up.

They happen on every strech of coastline, they speed at which they erode depends on quite a few foctors. They are:

They type of rock such as granite which is hard, or glacial till which is soft rock, or those with lines of weakness are easier to erode. Cliffs can become saturated with water and this may cause slumping or a section of cliff to slide.

Tranportation processes:

Traction:where large rocks are rolled along the sea bed

Saltation: where smalled rocks are bounced along the sea bed

Suspension: where small particles are carried along in the water flow

Solution: where dissolved rock particales are carried along within the water

Waves move things by longshore drift, the sand piles up on one side of the bech. They approach the beach at an angle and then the backwash falls down at 90. They drag material back into the sea, sand and shingle move down the coast line but the prevailing wind is not always in the same direction all around the country

Groynes are used to stop longshore drift- largge wodden fence, they can be made from concrete or boulders, the material is then flattened out.

Deposition along the coastline.

Waves deposite material, such as bays are left with sand or shingle.