GCSE Geography (Edexcel B)

Topic Summaries

Coastal landform processes

Geological landforms resulting from deposition

  • Beaches:
    • Constructive waves deposit sand or shingle along the coastline. 
    • Sand beaches: found in sheltered areas with low-energy waves. 
    • Shingle beaches: found in areas with high-energy waves, where sand is washed away, leaving behind pebbles. 
    • Example: the south coast of England has pebble beaches due to destructive waves removing sand. 
  • Sand dunes:
    • Embryo dunes: forms near the sea when sand is deposited and trapped by obstacles like vegetation. 
    • Growth: marram grass and other vegetation grow on dunes, stabilising dunes with their long roots. 
    • Organic matter: decaying vegetation adds nutrients to the sand, allowing more plants to colonise. 
    • Mature dunes: older dunes, further from the sea, may support shrubs and trees. 
  • Spits: 
    • Longshore drift: sediment is transported along the coast by longshore drift. 
    • Change in coastline: when the coastline changes direction (e.g. at a river mouth), sediment is deposited, forming a spit. 
    • Extension: the spit extends out into the sea, with longshore drift continuing to deposit material. 
    • Hooked end: strong winds and wave action curve the end of the spit, forming a hooked end. 
    • Salt marsh: sheltered water behind the spit allows salt marshes to form, creating ideal habitats for wildlife (e.g. Dawlish Warren Spit, Devon). 
  • Bars: 
    • A bar forms when longshore drift continues depositing sediment across a bay, connecting two headlands. 
    • This creates a ridge of sand or shingle that blocks off the bay, forming a lagoon behind it. (e.g. Slapton Sands Bar, Devon).

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