Coast Geography Project

2007 Words9 Pages
Vũ Đức Nam-10FIB Coast I. Introduction Coast, an important ecosystem on Earth, is the area where land meets the sea (ocean). A coastal zone is an unstable area which is affected by weather, mass movement erosion, transportation and deposition. Also inland effects such as fresh water transference, nutrients, sediments or pollution may also affect coastal formation. Under the effect of certain different conditions as well as geographical morphology, many forms of coasts are formed including sandy shore, rocky shore, mangroves, estuarine, salt marshes, etc. Coasts are important features to the eco systems as the study of coasts involve the study of waves, transportation, species living within coastal area, etc. Figure 1: First row - sandy beach, rocky beach Second row – mangroves, estuarine In this essay, coastal erosion and coastal deposition will be studied as two factors determining the type of the coast; with examples, diagrams and fieldwork result. II. Coastal erosion - Occurs along beaches and coastlines. Wind and water effect play important roles in the changing of coastlines. Coastal erosion takes land away from one area to deposit it someplace else. 1. There are 4 types of coastal erosion: * Hydraulic Action: is the type of erosion in which wave drives air into cracks within rocks, compressing air inside. As wave retreats, the densely pressed air escapes with explosive force, breaking rocks into smaller bits. The stronger the wave, the greater the explosive force. * Abrasion: Particles in waves collided with the rock surface, rubbing away the coastline. * Attrition: Particles transported in waves collide with each other, breaking down into smaller particles that are smoother and rounder. * Corrosion: Acids in seawater have chemical reaction with certain rock types, causing dissolution. 2. Coastal erosional features: a) Cliffs
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