The document discusses the various physical factors that create different coastal environments, including factors related to the land, sea, and weather/climate. Specifically, it describes how the geology and relief of the land, presence or lack of beaches, river sediments, coastal ecosystems, wave energy/direction, currents, wind, rainfall/temperature, and storm surges all impact coastal landforms and rates of erosion in different ways. These many interrelated factors collectively shape the wide variety of coastal environments seen around the world.

1. Physical factors that create a
variety of coastal environments

2. Competition for Coasts

3. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
A. Land
1. Resistance of the rocks – GEOLOGY
Different rock types will create different
landforms. E.g. Resistant Chalk and weaker
limestone at Purbeck.

6. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
A. Land
2. Relief
• Relief provides sheltered inlets and natural
harbours, e.g. Hong Kong Bay.

7. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
A. Land
2. Relief

8. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
A. Land
3. Presence or lack of beach
Sand dunes, shingle beach or sand beach will all
help to protect the land from erosion. E.g.
Beesands, Devon.
A lack of a beach will clearly increase rates of
erosion.

11. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
A. Land
4. River sediments
Rivers carry vast quantities of sediment to the
mouth. Once they meet the sea it is often
deposited in the form of a delta. This adds to the
coast and allows space for development as well
as protection for the land. E.g. Nile Delta.

13. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
B. Sea
1. Coastal (marine) ecosystems
• Mangrove swamps and coral reefs all help to
protect the land behind it. These ecosystems
therefore protect the coast, especially from
topical storms as they are found in tropics!

15. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
B. Sea
2. Wave energy and direction
• Waves can have huge impact on erosion and
therefore shaping the coast. The larger the
fetch the more erosion. Compare Cornwall
(……….. Fetch) to Suffolk (……….. Fetch) .

17. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
B. Sea
3. Size and type of waves
Larger waves clearly cause more erosion than
smaller ones. Destructive waves have ………….
Swash and a ……. backwash. These waves cause
more damage than constructive waves ( …………
swash and ……….. backwash)

19. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
B. Sea
4. Local Currents and Long Shore Drift
Long shore drift transports material along the
coast. Clearly areas where LSD takes place
means that there will be a small and temporary
beach. Can increase the rate of erosion.

20. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
B. Sea

21. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
C. Weather and Climate

22. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
C. Weather and Climate
1. Wind strength and direction
Onshore winds will create more erosion than
offshore ones. Also strengths can play an
important role in the tropics, e.g. hurricanes.

24. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
C. Weather and Climate
2. Rainfall and temperature
Theses factors can influence weathering rates.
E.g. slumping or biological weathering.

27. Physical factors that create a variety of
coastal environments
C. Weather and Climate
3. Storms surges
Storms surges result from hurricanes. They can
damage coastal areas over long periods of time.
The damage from hurricane Sandy was due to a
storm surge.

29. Homework
• Find a photo of a coastal area and on it label
at least 6 different factors that shape that
area, e.g. Relief, high land that stops erosion
from being too rapid