Question 1: Explain the process of hydraulic action and how it contributes to coastal erosion.

Answer: Hydraulic action occurs when the force of moving water compresses air into cracks in the rock, causing pieces to break off. Over time, this weakens the coastline and leads to erosion.

Question 2: Describe the formation of a headland and a bay along a coastline with different types of rock.

Answer: A headland forms where resistant rock extends out into the sea, eroding more slowly than softer rock nearby. The softer rock erodes faster, creating a bay. This results in a headland protruding into the water and a bay behind it.

Question 3: Identify and explain two types of coastal erosion that can create a cliff face.

Answer: Wave quarrying, where powerful waves break against the cliff and remove material, and hydraulic action, which compresses air into cracks and causes the rock to break apart, both contribute to cliff formation.

Question 4: Describe how a wave-cut platform is formed.

Answer: A wave-cut platform forms when the sea erodes the base of a cliff, creating a wave-cut notch. Over time, the cliff collapses, and the process repeats, leaving a flat, rocky platform at low tide.

Question 5: Sketch a diagram of a coastal spit and label the main features that form it.

Answer: A spit is a narrow strip of land extending into the sea, formed by longshore drift. Features include the main spit, a hook or bend at the end, and sometimes a bar or lagoon behind it. The sketch should show the land projecting from the coast into the water, with annotations.

Question 6: Explain how longshore drift influences the shape of a coastline.

Answer: Longshore drift is the movement of sediment along the coast caused by wave action at an angle. It can cause beaches to grow or erode and shape features like spits, bars, and headlands.

Question 7: Identify two human activities that can accelerate coastal erosion and briefly explain their effects.

Answer: Construction of buildings and roads near the coast can increase erosion by removing natural protective features. Dredging and deepening harbors can also disturb sediment movement, leading to increased erosion elsewhere.

Question 8: Describe the process of deposition and how it creates landforms such as beaches.

Answer: Deposition occurs when the energy of the water decreases, causing sediment to settle out. This builds up over time to form beaches, spits, and bars.

Question 9: Explain why some coastlines are more vulnerable to erosion than others.

Answer: Coastlines with soft rocks, high wave energy, and little natural protection like mangroves or cliffs are more vulnerable to erosion than those with resistant rocks or natural barriers.

Question 10: Sketch a cross-section of a typical wave-cut platform and label the main features.

Answer: The sketch should show a flat, gently sloping platform at the base of a cliff, with the cliff above, a wave-cut notch, and the platform extending out into the sea. Labels should include cliff, wave-cut notch, platform, and sea level.