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Year 10
Edexcel B

The role of climate, marine and sub-aerial processes in coastal erosion

I can explain the role climate, marine and sub-aerial processes play in coastal erosion.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

The role of climate, marine and sub-aerial processes in coastal erosion

I can explain the role climate, marine and sub-aerial processes play in coastal erosion.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Climate (seasonality, storm frequency, prevailing winds) affects the rate of erosion along coastal landscapes.
  2. Marine processes (destructive waves) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.
  3. Sub-aerial processes (mass movement, weathering) affect coastal landscapes and the rate of coastal retreat.

Keywords

  • Erosion - the wearing away of rocks along the coastline

  • Constructive wave - low-energy waves that result in the buildup of sediment along the coastline

  • Destructive wave - high-energy waves that result in the removal of sediment along the coastline

  • Weathering - the breaking down or dissolving of rocks through plants, animals and weather

  • Mass movement - downhill movement of sediment due to gravity

Common misconception

Swash is when a wave moves down the beach to the sea and backwash is when a wave moves up the beach from the sea.

The swash is the movement of the wave from the sea to the beach which brings sediment with it. Whereas the backwash is the movement of the wave from the beach to sea.

GIS could be used in this lesson to overlay different data sets, such as historical maps, on current OS maps to explore rates of coastal erosion.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which answer correctly describes the difference between climate change and global warming?
Correct answer: Global warming is temperature rise; climate change refers to changes in weather.
Climate change only refers to warming; global warming is changes to weather.
Global warming is caused by nature; climate change is human-made only.
Climate change is short-term; global warming is about daily weather.
Global warming affects the air; climate change affects oceans only.
Q2.
Features found along discordant coastlines include and headlands.
Correct Answer: bays
Q3.
Match the rock types to their correct characteristics.
Correct Answer:igneous,Formed from cooled and solidified magma or lava.
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Formed from cooled and solidified magma or lava.

Correct Answer:sedimentary,Made from compacted layers of sediment over time.
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Made from compacted layers of sediment over time.

Correct Answer:metamorphic,Changed by heat and pressure from existing rocks.
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Changed by heat and pressure from existing rocks.

Correct Answer:unconsolidated material,Loose sediments like glacial till not yet cemented into rock.
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Loose sediments like glacial till not yet cemented into rock.

Q4.
Re-order the statements to explain the formation of a stump.
An image in a quiz
1 - Waves find a weakness in the headland and erode the rock over time.
2 - Erosion forms a cave where softer rock is worn away inside the headland.
3 - Continued erosion enlarges the cave until it breaks through the headland.
4 - This creates an arch, which is supported by the harder rock above.
5 - Eventually, the arch collapses due to erosion, leaving a stack behind.
6 - The stack is a tall column of rock standing isolated from the headland.
7 - Over time, the stack erodes further, becoming a stump near the coast.
Q5.
Identify the correct definition for swash and backwash.
Swash: Cliff erosion; Backwash: Sand deposition onto the beach.
Swash: Water parallel to shore; Backwash: Waves hitting the shore.
Correct answer: Swash: Water up the beach; Backwash: Water returning to the sea.
Swash: High tide forms waves; Backwash: Low tide pulls water away.
Swash: Gentle waves; Backwash: Strong currents back to the sea.
Q6.
What process does 'the wearing away of rocks along the coastline' describe?
Weathering
Mass movement
Transportation
Correct answer: Erosion

4 Questions

Q1.
What type of weathering is caused by plants and animals?
Correct Answer: biological weathering, biological
Q2.
What erosion process does the statement 'rocks and sediment collide and break into smaller and smoother pieces' describe?
Hydraulic action
Abrasion
Solution
Correct answer: Attrition
Q3.
Match up the type of mass movement with its correct definition.
Correct Answer:Slumping,Soil and rock move down in a curved motion.
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Soil and rock move down in a curved motion.

Correct Answer:Landslides,Sudden drop of loose materials down a slope.
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Sudden drop of loose materials down a slope.

Correct Answer:Rockfall,Rocks and boulders become detached from steep slopes or cliffs.
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Rocks and boulders become detached from steep slopes or cliffs.

Q4.
What factors will determine the strength of a wave?
Correct answer: Wind speed and duration.
Correct answer: The distance wind travels over water (fetch).
Water temperature.
The geology of the coastline.