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Lecture 10: Coastal Processes

- The coastal features are shaped by the curvature of the coast line
- The morphology of the ocean basin
- It falls back onto the surface
- About 40% of the world’s population lives within 100km from the coastline
- Includes the elements
o Solar energy input drives the atmosphere and hydrosphere,
conversion of insolation to kinetic energy produces prevailing
winds, weather systems and climate
o Atmospheric winds generate ocean currents and waves
o Climatic regimes which result from insolation and moisture
o Local characteristics of coastal rocks and coastal geomorphology
are important in determining rates of erosion and sediment
production
o Human activities

Wave Actions
- Often generated as a result of friction of the base of wind and the surface
of the ocean and as wind moves across the water bodies
- This can result in high rise of waves and it can be 10-20m high
- It falls back onto the surface
Waves of oscillation
- Crest: highest point reached by the wave
- Trough: lowest point reached by the wave
- Wave interval (height): interval between highest and lowest point
- Wave length: distance between two crests
- Anytime the wave systems pull water, there is a swell and then it falls back
down into the trough
- When there’s a wave of oscillation, there is a circular motion of wave
which rises and falls
- As the waves fall back to the surface, the water particles are vertically
restricted causing flattened orbit which slows the entire wave
- If you have a series of undulating waves, it is known as the wave of
transition
o Occurs when individual water particles move forward only slightly in
a vertical pattern of circle
Wave of translation
- As the waves approach the coastal line, the bottom of the wave
encounters resistance along the continental shell
- This reduces the velocity of the wave motion and that is known as swash
(once the water gets to the shore line)
- When you stand by the coast line, all you feel is the waves have a greater
momentum
- Backwash: when the water reaches the shore line and retreats, pulling
sediment back into the water

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- Occurs close to the shore line

Wave refraction
- Generally waves often straighten the coast line
- However, they may approach an irregular coastline and submarine
topography refracts or bends the approaching waves around a headland
(made of resistant rocks) which are protruding
- The refracted energy becomes focuses around the headland
- As the ocean wave approaches the shore line, the part of the land that
comes into contact first, has the ability to break the force of the wave
- The headland bends the waves and causes it to come on with a slower
force
Long shore drift
- Also described as long shore current or littoral current
- Differences between the highest and lowest points reached by the waves
is known as the littoral zone
- Lithoris is Latin for shore
- A series of breakwaters or ocean surges which arrive at the shore line
- Often generated only in the surf zone
- Beach drift/littoral drift: the process in which it works in combination with
wave action to transport large amounts of sand, gravels, sediments and
debris along the shore

Degradation and Aggradation of Waves

- Degradation: waves use their strength in the sediments that it transports to
erode rocks and headlands (disintegration)
- Aggradation: implies the deposition of sediments and building of landform
Hydraulic action
- Mechanical process
- Waves use their shared strength or force, weight and velocity to pound on
rock surfaces along the coast line as the water forces its way through
cracks and cavities of rocks
- It compresses the air pockets and as the waves retreat, the rocks expand
and break down into smaller fragments
Corrasion
- Loose sediments, which are transported by waves, collide with headlands
and rocks along the coastline
- This process often reduces the land mass and it will retreat overtime
Corrosion
- Occurs when sea waves which are reached in certain minerals dissolve
rocks along the coastline, including limestone rocks, calcite (calcium
carbonate rocks), halite (salt rocks)
- Any mineral water that is made of high amounts of acid can easily dissolve
rocks along the shore line
- Dissolution of rocks on land
Attrition

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- Occurs when particles (sand, shells) which are transported by waves

collide with each other (smoothening the edges) and reduce in size
overtime
- Sediments that have been transported by waves crash into each other and
collide

Tides and Shore Zone Currents

Tidal range
- Dangerous thing especially if you are someone who isn’t familiar with the
coastline
- Also known as the littoral zone: difference between the highest and lowest
point reached by a tide
Tidal bore
- Occurs in the Bay of Fundy in the Atlantic Canada
- The sudden rise of sea water which gushes to the shore line
- During high tide, the valley fills with water
- During low tide, part of the water retreats into the ocean
o The continental shell can be seen
- In Brazil, it is known as Pororoca: occurs in the Amazon river
Strom surges
- Can be trigged by hurricanes, cyclones
- Tsunami waves can also cause storm surges
- Can be triggered by earthquakes

Degradational Landforms
Sea cliffs
- Living behind steep sided vertical slope known as a cliff
- Extent of erosion depends on the resistance of the rock
- Normally sedimentary rocks are eroded easily compared to granite rocks
Sea caves
- Occur when constant erosion by waves create deeper and bigger cavities
within the cliff face
- The caves will be completely filled with water
- Ex. British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia
Wave-cut platforms
- A series of boundaries that mark the original position of the cliff
- Densely sloping land which stretches from the base of the cliff into the
ocean
- Can be submerged during high tide or exposed at low tide
- At low tide, pebbles, shells and shingles can accumulate on the platform
- Certain platforms will look like steps, the steps may mark the different
levels reached by the ocean
- Waves can cut horizontal beaches which extends from the foot of the cliff
into the sea
- Some are` 370m above sea level
- Ex. Along the coast of California

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Sea arches
- Can be formed by wave erosion on adjacent sides of a headland
- Arches can be formed due to erosion on adjacent sides
Sea stacks
- Ex. Old man of holy

Aggradational Landforms
Beach
- Depositional landform along the coastline it is relatively narrow strip of
sediment deposit which is reworked and deposited by waves and current
- Beaches is made up of loose sand, shingles and shells
o Shingles: small gravels
Sand spit
- Tongue-like feature is formed as a result of deposition of sediment which
extends from the mainland into the ocean
- Classic example is the Toronto harbour
Bay mouth bars
- Characterized by narrow depositional features which extends from one
end of the coastline to the other
- As a bay is completely detached from the ocean, that body of water of salt
content will be reduced
- Places that you have lagoons that are closed will be much fresher
- Ex. Hamilton harbour
Tombolo
- Sediment deposits which extends from the mainland to connect to an
island
- It also serves as a bridge between the island and the mainland
- Ex. Pres’quile Provincial Park in Brighton, Ontario
Barrier islands
- Sediment deposits which run parallel to the coast line
- Often formed off shore
- The sediments are supplied by waves from alluvial coastal planes
- Ex. Great Australian Barrier and the coast line of India and Sri Lanka
- Barrier islands are different from sand spit because they are detached
from the mainland and formed parallel to the mainland, whereas sand spit
is not detached and runs perpendicular to the mainland
Atoll
- Semicircular or ring shaped reefs which are formed in the ocean
- Cause changes in ocean current or wave actions
- Most atolls are examples of coral reefs which have been formed in the
ocean
Emergence coasts
 Formed by plate tectonic activities along the coast line
 Often times when fort lines develop along the beach part of the continental
shelf, it will be uplifted resulting in the formation of raise beaches or
suspended beach

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 Not the regular beach, this one is higher than the ocean level due to land
upliftment as a result of tectonic plate movement
Sub-mergence coasts
 When the beach drops in height or submerges, you find the base of the
continental shell
 It lightens up the coastline which makes it easier to see things in the
ocean
 Occurs when plate tectonics cause the beach to be lower and completely
submerged during high tide

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