Coastal Environmental Change (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Revision Note

Test yourself
Jacque Cartwright

Written by: Jacque Cartwright

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

Influence of Geology

  • Geology shapes the coastline over time, place and space

  • A coastline made up of softer rocks such as sands and clays will be easily eroded by destructive waves to form low, flat landscapes such as bays and beaches

  • Coastlines of more resistant, harder rock will take longer to erode and produce rugged landscapes such as headlands

  • The differences between hard and soft rocks will also impact the shape and characteristics of cliffs

 

Hard Rock

Soft Rock

Shape of cliff

High and steep

Generally lower and less steep

Cliff face

Bare rock and rugged

Smoother; evidence of slumping

Foot of cliff

Boulders and rocks

Few rocks; some sand and mud

  • Geology, therefore, shapes the coastline vertically through the height and profile of a cliff and horizontally with bays and headlands

Influence of Vegetation

  • The longer a coastal landform has existed, the more likely it will be colonised by vegetation

  • Over time, vegetation will 'fix' a feature (e.g. a sand dune)

  • Vegetation adaptation is important in order to survive coastal conditions

  • Vegetation has to cope with high levels of salt in both air and soil

  • The largest influence of vegetation is to assist in protecting and preserving coastal landforms such as sand dunes, salt marshes and mangroves 

Influence of Sea-level Changes & People

  • Rising sea levels produce submergent coastlines, with rias and fjords

  • Falling sea levels produce emergent coastlines, with relic features such as raised beaches, cliffs with caves, arches etc.

  • Sea levels have risen and fallen many times in the past

  • During the last Ice Age, sea levels fell as the water was locked up in glaciers and ice sheets, rising again as the ice melted

  • Sea levels are linked to global warming and will have a significant effect on many low-lying coasts and islands

  • Many Pacific Ocean islands, such as Kiribati and Tuvalu are at risk of being completely submerged by rising sea levels

  • This issue is made worse as many of the world's densely populated areas are located on coastal lowlands

  • New York and Miami in the US are major cities vulnerable to sea-level rise as the cities are built at sea level

Influence of People

Human Activity

  • Human activities, either intentionally or not, transform the features and landscape of a coastline:

    • Settlement - coasts have always been a place of attraction and residence for people 

    • Economic Development -  exploitation through fishing, farming, trade, tourism and energy production 

    • Coastal Management - controlling the coastline to protect human interests

  • Through any or all of the above, the natural landscapes and features of the coast can be changed, thereby changing the coastline over time, space and place

Worked Example

Study Figure 2a in the Resource Booklet. Suggest two ways changes in sea level have created coastal landforms

(4 Marks)

  • This question tells you to use the figure to show how changes in sea level have created coastal landforms

  • You must identify features and then develop your answer to suggest how it was formed due to changes in sea levels

  •  If you do not refer to the figure, you will not gain full marks

fig-2a-4ge1-01-june-2019-edexcel-igcse-geography
  • Answer:

  • From the figure we can see where the sea level has decreased (1). This has created an emergent coastline (1) with a relic cliff and raised beach (1). Over time, the raised beach has become vegetated, supporting the observation of changing sea levels (1)

  • Wave action (1) from previous sea levels has eroded the relic cliff to expose a wave cut-notch (1), showing that sea levels used to be higher than the present (1). This has led to the relic cliff and sea caves further back than the current cliff face in the figure (1)

Last updated:

You've read 0 of your 10 free revision notes

Unlock more, it's free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Jacque Cartwright

Author: Jacque Cartwright

Expertise: Geography Content Creator

Jacque graduated from the Open University with a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography before doing her PGCE with the University of St David’s, Swansea. Teaching is her passion and has taught across a wide range of specifications – GCSE/IGCSE and IB but particularly loves teaching the A-level Geography. For the past 5 years Jacque has been teaching online for international schools, and she knows what is needed to get the top scores on those pesky geography exams.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.