Either they break down the material, transport it away or deposit it somewhere. Ultimately, the major effects of coastal processes are quite obvious. This can happen as waves slow down or when the water gets more shallow, or even when there is not much wind keeping the wave's energy up. When waves lose their energy, they drop the material they were carrying.This is how we get our beautiful sandy beaches. Over time, this can cause material or sediment to build up. Almost acting in complete opposite to coastal erosion, coastal deposition happens when sediment being transported around is dropped. So we know how material is broken down and how it is transported around coasts, but how is it added to certain areas? The answer is, of course, coastal deposition. These materials are rolled along the floor. Traction is a transportation type usually saved for the largest and heaviest materials in the water. Some examples of materials that are transported via saltation are large sand particles and small bits of shingle. This is because it is too heavy to be transported, and the waves do not have enough energy to move the material by carrying it. The type of material is often larger in size and weight than those transported by suspension. In simple terms, saltation describes transportation that happens when material is bounced along the seabed. Silt is a fine type of material (particles that are bigger than clay but smaller than sand) that is often transported through suspension. While limestone and chalk are very susceptible to dissolving after coming into contact with seawater, not all rock types will be affected by seawater. In coastal processes, solution is the process of a rock being dissolved by the sea and then transported away. Over time, those pieces erode, leaving smooth pebbles behind. Attrition happens when pieces of broken rocks that are floating in the sea crash into other broken pieces of rock in the sea. While you might confuse this with abrasion, the two are actually somewhat different. When it comes to coastal processes, attrition is the coastal process that involves the breaking down of rocks by other rocks. The broken-down rock is then carried away by the waves. Have you seen waves crashing against the rocks along the coast? These waves can be so powerful that they can cause the rock to break apart. Hydraulic action is a type of coastal erosion done by the sea itself. Abrasion breaks down the material and then transports it away. Coastal erosion processesĬoastal abrasion happens when a rock is carried along by the water and smashes into a cliff, causing a piece of that cliff to break off. The main ones we are going to concern ourselves with are abrasion, hydraulic action, attrition and solution, all actions that take something away from the coast. As we mentioned earlier, there are different types of coastal erosion. This typically occurs because of interactions involving the sea itself. If something is deposited, it is added or left somewhere else.Ĭoastal erosion is the breaking down and transporting away of material.If something is transported, it is moved about.If something is eroded or weathered, it is worn out or broken down!.If you need help remembering, think of the processes like this.
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