SEA, OCEAN, COASTS, WATER! Living on a tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean, we hear about this all the time. In this topic, we're going to discover how some coastal landforms were made. Then we will discuss how us humans affect the coastal environment we're living in! Shall we start?
The lessons covered in this unit are: 1. How the land is eroded 2. Erosion, transportation and deposition 3. Landforms of coastal erosion 4. Coastal landforms in Malta 5. Coastal erosion 6. Protecting the coast 7. Coastal solutions 8. How malta protects the coast |
1. HOW THE LAND IS ERODED
🡺 I understand what erosion does to the land
🡺 I can explain how rivers, ice, the sea and the wind erode the land. Erosion wears away and removes loose rock. Erosion can be cause by the sea, rivers, ice and wind. Human erosion is also important. Here are the main types of erosion. SEA Coastlines are under constant attack by waves. During storms each wave hits the rock with a weight of several tonnes. When this is repeated many times, the rock is weakened, and pieces break off. Currents carry loose material away and deposit it elsewhere. ICE A glacier is a tongue office moving down a valley. Stones and boulders that fall onto it freeze into the ice and act like sandpaper on the rocks beneath. As the glacier moves, it carries the material downwards and at the same time wears away the valley bottom and sides. HUMANS Bulldozers, lorries can cause erosion by moving large amounts of soil and loose rock and changing the landscape. People also remove trees and vegetation, which allows water, wind and ice to erode the land more easily. RIVERS Every day rivers wear away bits of rock from their bed and eat into the bank on either side of the channel. This material is carried downstream and deposited when the water slows down. In times of flood, large boulders may be loosened and rolled down the river bed. WIND Explorers who cross deserts in cars often find their paintwork worn away and their windscreens scratched. This is because the wind picks up tiny particles of sand and blasts them against anything that is in the way Rocks in deserts are often eroded into strange shapes by this sandblasting effect. |
Geo-check!
1. Write down what type of erosion most likely causes these landforms in the photos on the right.
2. Choose one of the above photos and explain how it has been eroded. CHALLENGE! Think of one landform you have seen that has been formed by erosion. Write down its name, describe how you think it formed and draw a simple sketch. |
2. EROSION, TRANSPORTATION AND DEPOSITION
🡺 I know the difference between erosion, transportation and deposition
Look at the cartoon below. It shows some gardeners who are trying to alter a garden by digging out the soil (erosion), moving it in a wheelbarrow (transportation) and dumping it somewhere else (deposition). The more energy that they have, the more soil they can dig or transport. When they are tired, the digging slows down and they lack the strength to push the barrow, resulting in it topping over and dumping its load. On a larger scale mountains, valleys, plains and coasts are shaped and changed by water, ice and wind. Erosion wears away the land, transportation moves the material from one place to another, and deposition builds up new landforms. |
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Geo-check!
1. Draw a simple labelled cartoon, similar to the one above to explain erosion, transportation and deposition. [Make sure you label the THREE main terms.]
2. Look at these sentences below and photos on the right. They explain the processes taking place. Fix the sentences to make them explain in more detail and using the right terms. Re-write the sentences on the lines below. [Terms: sediment, rocks, erosion, erodes, transportation, transports, deposition, deposits.] Example: It moves rocks that hit the side of the rock. When it melts, it cannot carry rocks anymore, so it drops them where they are. The glacier transports rocks that erode the side of the mountain. When the glacier melts, it cannot transport rocks anymore, so it deposits them. a. It moves sand that hits the side of the rock. Finally, the sand breaks it, making the hole larger. b. The river carries pebbles and rocks when it moves. As the water goes down, it scratches the bottom of the river and makes it deeper. c. The sea moves sand from one place to another. When the sea is calm, it has no energy and lets go of the sand. |
3. LANDFORMS OF COASTAL EROSION
🡺 I can identify local landforms of coastal erosion and describe their formation.
The sea is never still. On quiet days the movement is slow and gentle, and the sea is flat and almost calm. On stormy days large waves crash against the shore. These large waves have such force that they can drive a ship against the rocks or smash up sea defences. The sea can also wear away the coast and move bits of rock and sand from one place to another. This ability to erode, transport and deposit material produces many interesting coastal landforms. Erosion landforms are made by the wearing away of the coast. In stormy conditions the sea picks up lose rocks and throws them at the shore. This bombardment undercuts cliffs, opens up cracks and breaks up loose rocks into smaller and smaller pieces. Areas which have soft rocks are worn away more easily than those with hard rocks. The soft rock areas become bays and the hard rock areas become headlands. A bay is an opening in the coastline. A headland is a stretch of land jutting out to the sea. Headlands can be eroded by the sea to form other landforms, such as caves, arches and stacks. These can be seen in the diagram here. |
Geo-check!
1. This photo shows bays and headlands in the northern part of Ireland. Label the headlands and bays and areas of hard and soft rock.
2. Explain why areas of softer rock become more eroded than areas of hard rock. 3. This is Durdle Door found in Dorder (UK). It is a very famous tourist attraction. a. Make a sketch of this photo and label its main features. b. Make a sketch of what this area looked like many years ago. Label the sketch. c. Make a sketch of what this area might look like in 1000 years. Label the sketch. d. Explain, using the correct terms, how and what happened between the ‘now’ and the ‘in the future’ diagrams. |
4. COASTAL LANDFORMS IN MALTA
🡺 I can explain when deposition happens.
🡺 I can identify coastal landforms in the Maltese Islands. When the sea loses energy, it drops the sand, rock particles and pebbles it has been carrying. This is called deposition. Deposition is most likely to occur when:
Beaches are a very common feature in coastlines abroad. We have a few beaches in Malta, however they only make up around 3 % of our coastline. They are formed when material worn away from one part of the coast is carried along and dropped somewhere else. A beach is an example of a deposition landform. Sand dunes are also landforms formed by deposition. |
Geo-check!
1. These landforms are found in Comino (left) and Zurrieq (right). a. What is this landform? b. Is it formed on hard or soft rock? c. What were these landforms before? 2. This landform can be found in Wied il-Mielaħ, Gharb, Gozo. a. What is this landform? b. How did this landform form? 3. This landform is called Il-Mara and can be found in Delimara. a. What is this landform called? b. What was there before this landform? c. Draw what it looked like on the photo in pencil. 4. Look at the satellite image on the right. a. Match the following locations and landmarks, with an arrow onto the image.
b. Mark the headlands with an X. c. Fill in the table here. |
5. COASTAL EROSION
🡺 I understand why coastal erosion causes problems.
Coastal erosion can cause severe problems. Agricultural land may be lost, buildings destroyed, and transport links put in danger. The east coast of England has some of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Europe. One of the areas in most danger is Holderness in Yorkshire where the sea is eroding the land at about 2 meters every year. Over the last 2,000 years several villages and farms have disappeared into the North Sea as the Holderness coastline has gradually moved back. Several houses have fallen into the sea, some farm buildings have become unsafe and the coastal road is all but lost. Many people are worried about their future and are afraid of losing their homes and livelihoods. Farms, seaside resorts and two gas plants, where many people work, are in danger. |
Geo-check!
1. Listen to the story about the Belle Toute Lighthouse on the South coast of England. Fill in the following sentences for each part of the story.
Would you live there? Explain why. a. I would / wouldn’t live here because ... b. I would / wouldn’t live here because ... c. I would / wouldn’t live here because ... 2. Watch the video called “Cliffhanger” about the coastal erosion in Happisburgh in Norfolk. Draw a mind map of the problems of coastal erosion causes. 3. Add more effects of coastal erosion. In total you should have more than 10 effects of coastal erosion. 4. Chose TWO of the effects of coastal erosion you mentioned above and explain them in more detail. (explain why they happen and who they may effect) CHALLENGE! Think of reasons for living in Happisburgh and reasons against living here. |
6. PROTECTING THE COAST
🡺 I know some methods to reduce coastal erosion.
Protecting coasts ca be both difficult and expensive. Where valuable land or property is under threat from the sea, authorities try to slow down or prevent erosion. The methods below are just four of the coastal defences that are used. SEA WALLS Sea walls stop the waves reaching the land. They reflect the waves back to the sea, but this can wash away the beach. They give good protection but are expensive and may need to be repaired in time. BEACH REBUILDING This replaces the sand and pebbles which as been lost from the beach. The beach absorbs wave energy and is a good defence against the sea. It protects land or sea wall behind the beach and looks more natural. GROYNES These are built down the beach and into the sea about 200 metres apart. They slow the movement of material along the coast and help build up the beach. The beach then helps to protect the land. Rock groynes are expensive. RIP-RAP This is a mixture of large boulders or concrete blocks which protect the coast by breaking up waves. They don’t protect cliffs as well as a sea wall but they help retain the beach. They can look ugly and make it difficult to get down to the beach. |
Geo-check!
1. Fill in the table below. 2. Think of TWO benefits and TWO problems that might happen when a coastal defence is built. »» SOLVE IT! St. George’s Bay was replenished in 2004. The area of sand that needed to be replenished was 4,000 m2. The price of the sand to be bought and imported cost 500,000. How much did 1 m2 of sand cost? |
7. COASTAL SOLUTIONS
🡺 I can discuss possible solutions to a coastal erosion case study.
Unfortunately, putting in new sea defences is not always the best solution. Geographers know that protecting one part of the coast can cause even worse problems further along the same coastline. Many people nowadays are actually against building coastal defences. They support schemes which work with nature, rather than against it. Schemes like this, they say, do less damage and help retain wildlife and the quality of the natural environment. Land uses in coastal areas include tourism, industry, fishing, trade and transport. There are many different groups of people who have an interest in how coastal areas are managed. These include:
Each interest group may have a different view about what should be done to protect and manage coastal areas. A difference of opinion can cause conflict between interest groups. |
Geo-check!
1. Read the information about the proposed hotel at Kalanka Bay in the grey box.
In the box itself, underline the words relating to the
2. Different people will have different opinions about the planned leisure complex. Fill in the ‘Possible feelings’ column below, then explain your reasoning. [Examples of possible feelings: 😁😀😡😞😮🤨🤑]
CHALLENGE! For the people against the development, think of THREE ways that these stakeholders could be made happier about it. |
This boutique hotel is planned for an area in the South of Malta. The area is called Kalanka Bay.
The area has several plants, trees, birds and small animals. There are also some protected areas, such as the cliffs and an arch. It has farmland surrounding it. The bay only has one broken down building. There is one road to the bay. Local people mainly earn a living by tourism. There aren’t many other types of jobs in the area. |
8. HOW MALTA PROTECTS THE COAST
🡺 I understand what Maltese authorities are doing to protect the coast.
Malta’s coastal areas have several by cliffs, clay slopes and rocks. Due to this, almost 60% of the coastline is difficult to get to. The remaining coastline is used for residential and economic purposes. The few sandy beaches that are found in Malta are exposed to coastal erosion.
Although the erosion is natural, human development has accelerated this erosion. For example, the building a road next to a sandy beach changes not only the amount of sand getting to the beach, but also sea currents, vegetation, and wildlife habitats.
In Malta, most the authorities taking care of coastal solutions are the following:
Malta’s coastal areas have several by cliffs, clay slopes and rocks. Due to this, almost 60% of the coastline is difficult to get to. The remaining coastline is used for residential and economic purposes. The few sandy beaches that are found in Malta are exposed to coastal erosion.
Although the erosion is natural, human development has accelerated this erosion. For example, the building a road next to a sandy beach changes not only the amount of sand getting to the beach, but also sea currents, vegetation, and wildlife habitats.
In Malta, most the authorities taking care of coastal solutions are the following:
- Planning Authority
- Environment and Resources Authority
- Malta Resources Authority
- Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs
- Malta Tourism Authority
Geo-check!
1. The article “Winds Wreck Pitch” describes the storm damage in Marsalforn in Gozo. Read it and answer the following questions.
a. What kind of damages do storm waves cause? b. What has been done by the authorities? c. What kind of sea defence would you use? Why? 2. The article “Sand At St.George’s Bay” talks about the success of the first beach replenishment project that was done in Malta. Read it and answer the following questions. a. Why did the authorities want to rebuild this beach? b. How do we know that the rebuilding was successful? c. Explain the problems the rebuilding might have caused? |
WINDS WRECK PITCH
The Marsalforn Sports Club had paid a pretty penny to import and install a brand new pitch in June, two months ago. It is now totally destroyed by the high winds. The Sports Club blamed the damage on the bay's lack of a breakwater, saying the bay was "exposed to gigantic waves which year in year out destroy everything that stands in their way." Talk of a Marsalforn breakwater dates back several years, with more than €70,000 spent on studies and research related to the breakwater between 2010 and 2013. The waterpolo players now have no pitch to train in, midway through this season's waterpolo championship. A swimming school the club organises for more than 100 children every summer may also end up being cancelled, the club said. The Club urged the authorities to "prioritise the reconstruction of the breakwater so that the effects of waves are managed." |
SAND AT ST. GEORGE’S BAY
St. George’s Bay, in St. Julians, is a beach that is used every day in summer and winter. Until a few years ago, this beach was a degraded area where its natural grey sand was washed away and lost to the sea. The bay was being used for boat mooring. After several studies, the beach was rebuilt with artificial sand in 2004. It was later rebuilt again in 2015. The material used to rebuild the bay was not thin sand but thicker sand imported from Jordan. The aim was to have bigger sand so that it would not be swept away by the sea or be blown into homes nearby. Studies carried out before and after the artificial sand was added show that the beach rebuilding project was successful. This was because the sand used to rebuild the beach stayed at the head of the bay, and no bad environmental effects were seen. After one winter, natural sand and sea grass came were seen on the beach. The beach is a total success environmentally and socially. It is now a Blue Flag beach which means that it is managed at very high standards. |