Starter quiz
- The __________ is the boundary between the land and the sea or ocean.
- coastline ✓
- headland
- surf
-
- ______ is the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site.
- 'Erosion' ✓
- Match these terms to their correct definition.
- cliff⇔a tall vertical rock face ✓
- beach⇔an area of land made up of sand, mud and stones ✓
- wave⇔movements of energy across water ✓
- The UK’s coastline is shaped by natural processes of erosion, transportation and ______.
- 'deposition' ✓
- What could be done to protect the coastline from erosion?
- building sea walls to stop waves from wearing away the coast ✓
- cutting down trees near the coast
- adding more buildings along the coast
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- Sometimes we need to protect areas of the coastline and reduce ______ by slowing down waves that hit the coast.
- 'erosion' ✓
Exit quiz
- ______ engineering involves building fixed structures at the coast to reduce erosion and flooding.
- 'Hard' ✓
- Examples of hard engineering are:
- groynes ✓
- sea walls ✓
- gabions ✓
- beach replenishment
- wind turbines
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- How do groynes reduce erosion?
- 1⇔groynes trap sand
- 2⇔the beach becomes wider
- 3⇔the beach absorbs more wave energy
- 4⇔erosion is reduced
- Some examples of soft engineering are:
- beach replenishment ✓
- dune stabilisation ✓
- sea wall
-
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Hard engineering is the building of fixed structures to slow down the waves and the rate of erosion.
- Soft engineering is working with nature to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion.
- Examples of hard engineering include groynes, sea walls and gabions.
- Examples of soft engineering include beach replenishment and dune stabilisation.
Common misconception
Students may think that coastal defences stop erosion entirely.
Coastal defences aim to protect the coastline from erosion, and can greatly reduce erosion but they can't stop it completely. Defences don't last forever, so eventually the power of the sea will regain strength in areas previously protected.
Keywords
Erosion - the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site
Cliff - a tall, vertical rock face
Wave - waves are the movements of energy across water
Beach - an area of land between low and storm tide marks made up of materials like sand, mud and stones
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