GCSE Coastal Landscapes — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the process called when waves force air into cracks in a cliff, causing pressure that breaks the rock apart?
- Hydraulic action (Correct answer)
- Abrasion
- Attrition
- Solution
Correct answer: Hydraulic action
Hydraulic action is the force of water and compressed air breaking apart rock in cracks and joints.
As waves crash against a cliff, air trapped in cracks is compressed and then released rapidly, weakening the rock over time until pieces break away, gradually undercutting the cliff face.
Question 2: What type of erosion involves rocks and sediment carried by waves scraping and wearing away the cliff face?
- Abrasion (Correct answer)
- Hydraulic action
- Attrition
- Longshore drift
Correct answer: Abrasion
Abrasion (also called corrasion) is when waves throw sediment against the cliff, sanding it down.
Abrasion is often the most effective form of coastal erosion, as sand, pebbles, and rocks carried by the waves repeatedly scrape against the cliff, wearing it away like sandpaper.
Question 3: What is the process in which rocks and sediment carried by waves collide with each other and become smaller and rounder called?
- Attrition (Correct answer)
- Abrasion
- Solution
- Hydraulic action
Correct answer: Attrition
Attrition occurs when transported particles collide with one another, breaking into smaller, smoother fragments.
Unlike abrasion, which erodes the cliff, attrition describes how the transported rock fragments themselves are worn down and rounded as they knock against each other in the water.
Question 4: A headland is eroded through cracks, caves, and arches. What landform remains after the arch collapses?
- A stack (Correct answer)
- A spit
- A bar
- A beach
Correct answer: A stack
When an arch collapses, an isolated pillar of rock called a stack is left standing separate from the headland.
The typical sequence of headland erosion is crack, cave, arch, then stack, and eventually stump, as continued erosion weakens and collapses the arch, leaving the stack isolated from the headland.
Question 5: What is the movement of sand and shingle along a coastline, caused by waves hitting the beach at an angle, called?
- Longshore drift (Correct answer)
- Solution transport
- Saltation
- Deposition
Correct answer: Longshore drift
Longshore drift moves sediment along the coast in a zigzag pattern following the prevailing wind direction.
Swash carries sediment up the beach at an angle (matching the prevailing wind), while backwash pulls it straight back down the beach under gravity, gradually moving material along the coastline over time.
Question 6: What landform is a long, narrow ridge of sand or shingle that extends from the coast and often has a curved (hooked) end?
- A spit (Correct answer)
- A stack
- An arch
- A headland
Correct answer: A spit
A spit is a depositional feature formed by longshore drift where the coastline changes direction, such as at a river mouth.
Spits form where longshore drift continues to deposit sediment past a bend in the coastline; a change in wind direction can curve the end of the spit into a hook shape, and vegetation may stabilise it over time.
GCSE Coastal Landscapes
What is the process called when waves force air into cracks in a cliff, causing pressure that breaks the rock apart?