Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Geography B (1GB0) · Spec 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5
Coasts: processes, landforms and management
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- Waves erode by hydraulic action (force of water and air), abrasion (stones thrown at the cliff) and attrition (stones knocking each other smaller).
- Constructive waves have a strong swash and build beaches. Destructive waves have a strong backwash and erode them.
- Erosion makes cliffs, wave-cut platforms, caves, arches and stacks. Deposition makes beaches, spits and bars.
- Longshore drift moves sediment along the coast in a zigzag. A spit grows where the coast changes direction.
- Hard engineering is built structures such as sea walls and groynes. Soft engineering works with nature, such as beach replenishment.
Key terms
- Longshore drift
- The zigzag movement of sediment along a beach by waves.
- Spit
- A ridge of sand or shingle joined to the land at one end.
- Hard engineering
- Built structures that hold back the sea.
- Soft engineering
- Management that works with natural processes.
- Swash and backwash
- Swash is water running up the beach. Backwash is water running back down.
Common mistakes
- Calling groynes or sea walls soft engineering. They are hard engineering.
- Thinking longshore drift is a type of erosion. It transports sediment.
- Thinking humans change coasts only by building defences. Ports, tourism, farming and industry change them too.
Exam tip
Q2 on Paper 2 is worth about 5 to 8 marks. Use the correct term and say how the process works. Name the landform and then explain it one step at a time. For hard and soft engineering, develop costs and effects, because saying it costs a lot is not enough.
Free practice questions
7 questions, 15 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement about longshore drift is correct?
- Question 2 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]
Destructive waves have a strong ___, while constructive waves have a strong ___.
Word bank: backwash · swash · fetch
- Question 3 · Matching[3 marks]
Match each coastal erosion process to what it does.
- Question 4 · Sort into groups[3 marks]
Sort each landform by how it forms.
Bar
Stack
Spit
- Question 5 · Choose more than one[2 marks]
Which TWO are types of coastal erosion?
Choose 2.
- Question 6 · Put in order[1 mark]
Put the stages of stack formation in the correct order, starting with the crack.
Use the arrows to put these in the right order, first at the top.
- 1The crack is enlarged into a cave
- 2The arch roof collapses, leaving a stack
- 3A crack in the headland is attacked by waves
- 4The cave is cut through to form an arch
- Question 7 · Sort into groups[3 marks]
Sort each coastal management strategy into the correct group.
Beach nourishment
Dune regeneration
Sea wall