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New
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Year 10
Edexcel B

The role of geology in coastal erosion

I can understand how geology can affect the development of coastal landforms.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

The role of geology in coastal erosion

I can understand how geology can affect the development of coastal landforms.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. How resistant rock is to erosional processes is influenced by its rock type (hard/soft).
  2. Geological structure can result in concordant and discordant coastlines.
  3. Coastal erosion creates distinctive landforms.

Keywords

  • Erosion - the wearing away of rocks along the coastline

  • Resistant - refers to rocks that are less likely to be eroded or weathered

  • Retreat - the process where cliffs move backward over time as erosion wears away the base of a cliff

  • Geological structure - the arrangement of rock structure

Common misconception

Boulder clay is an example of sedimentary rock.

Boulder clay is an example of glacial till. Glacial till is an example of sedimentary deposits.

GIS could be used in this lesson to overlay different data sets, such as geology, on current OS maps to explore rates of coastal erosion.
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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.
What is geology a study of?
Correct answer: the Earth's physical structure and processes
the behaviour of chemical compounds
the movement of ocean currents
the pattern of weather and climate
the evolution of human societies
Q2.
Which of these are the main types of rock?
Correct answer: sedimentary
volcanic
Correct answer: metamorphic
Correct answer: igneous
oceanic
Q3.
Which answer correctly defines coastal erosion?
the wearing away of plants
the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces
the deposition of material onto a beach
Correct answer: the wearing away of rocks along the coastline
the process of waves transporting sediment along the coast
Q4.
What is the main factor that creates the waves we see at the seaside?
gravity pulling on the Earth's water
tides moving up and down the shore
Correct answer: wind blowing over the surface of the sea
earthquakes under the sea floor
people driving boats in the sea
Q5.
Climate change today is caused by human activities that increase gas levels.
Correct Answer: greenhouse, green house
Q6.
Match the terms to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:waves,the movement of water caused by wind blowing across the sea
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the movement of water caused by wind blowing across the sea

Correct Answer:cliff,a steep rock face along the coast
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a steep rock face along the coast

Correct Answer:beach,an area of sand or pebbles along the shore
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an area of sand or pebbles along the shore

Correct Answer:headland,a part of the coastline that extends into the sea
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a part of the coastline that extends into the sea

Correct Answer:bay,a sheltered area of water, often between two headlands
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a sheltered area of water, often between two headlands

Correct Answer:stack,an isolated pillar of rock near the coast, formed by erosion
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an isolated pillar of rock near the coast, formed by erosion

4 Questions

Q1.
What category is glacial till in?
sedimentary rock
Correct answer: unconsolidated material
igneous rock
metamorphic rock
Q2.
The name of a coastline that has alternative layers of hard and soft rock running perpendicular to the coastline is a coastline.
Correct Answer: discordant
Q3.
Correctly order the statements to show the formation of a wave-cut notch and platform
An image in a quiz
1 - Waves hit the base of the cliff, applying pressure on the rock.
2 - Wave energy erodes the rock at the base, forming a notch.
3 - The notch deepens as waves continue to erode the rock.
4 - The cliff above the notch becomes unstable and weakens.
5 - Eventually, the cliff collapses due to lack of support.
6 - This leaves a flat area called a wave-cut platform.
7 - The process is repeated as the cliff retreats.
Q4.
Coves form along which coastline type?
discordant
discordant and concordant
Correct answer: Concordant

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