coastal processes

1. Marine and coastal process and their effects
Coastal zones are dynamic areas of the earth that experience the influence of
both marine and atmospheric activities, also known as coastal processes. These
processes involve different events that build-up, breakdown, and transport
materials in these coastal zones. Waves, wind, and tides for example impact
these coastal areas and change their landscapes through continuous processes
that happen all year round. Coastal processes are important as these helps
change landscapes and maintain natural balance in our ecosystems.
Coastal processes usually impact coastal zones within at least 5 kilometers of the
coast. Different areas are impacted by coastal processes. Examples of these
include

2. 1.dunes- Immediately landward of the beach
are commonly found large, linear
accumulations of sand known as dunes.

4. 2. beaches- A beach is a landform alongside a body of
water which consists of loose particles. The particles
composing a beach are typically made from rock, such
as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological
sources, such as Mollusca shells or coralline algae.

6. 3. barrier islands- Barrier islands are coastal landforms
and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or
lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action
parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in
chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more
than a dozen.

8. 4. delta-Deltas absorb runoff from both floods (from
rivers) and storms (from lakes or the ocean).

10. Coastal Deposition- Coastal deposition is the coastal process
that involves the settling of sediments and materials,
causing the build-up and development of different coastal
landscapes.

11. What are coastal processes?
As mentioned, coastal processes include all of the processes that
work on our coastal zones to change their landscapes. To identify
these coastal processes, scientists and researchers typically look for
physical indicators of transport and erosion through the different
sediments and materials we find in these coastal zones. Waves,
wind, and tides are some of the driving forces that shape our
coastal zones.

12. 1.Transportation happens when tides and waves transfer pieces of
material to different areas.
2. Deposition occurs when tides and waves lose their energy and
lose the ability to transport varied materials, thus depositing
these materials.
3.Erosion, on the other hand, refers to the removal of sediments
and materials from these coastal zones. As mentioned, waves and
wind play a significant role in maintaining these coastal processes

13.  Waves
Waves are one of the main driving factors of coastal processes.
Without waves, the natural transportation of sediments may not
happen, and thus, the formation of different landforms will not
occur. In reality, waves provide more than half the energy
required for coastal processes to occur.
Waves are affected by a variety of factors. Wind, in particular,
greatly affects how strong a wave is and how far a wave can
travel.

15. Waves can be classified into two types: Destructive and Constructive Waves
Constructive waves build up beaches as they deposit sediments and other
materials along coasts. Their low energies and long wavelengths help develop
depositional landforms during calm weathers. In contrast, destructive waves
are aggressive waves that break down and erode coasts. Their strong
backwashes and high energies help remove material along coastlines during
aggressive weathers.
Destructive waves have much greater height than constructive waves. Both
types of waves are significant in the different coastal processes as they help
transport materials to different areas, causing varying in our marine
environments.

16.  Tides happen because of gravitational attractions by the
moon or the sun, and they play a significant role in
managing constructive and destructive waves.
Additionally, tides help determine if a coastal area will
experience high tide or low tide.

17. Aside from these constructive and destructive waves, different waves exist,
and they, too, play a key role during coastal processes. These waves include
the following:
1. Open Ocean Wave- These waves come around and allow for particles to rise
and move with the wave until the peak relaxes. As these waves pass, water
molecules rise up and move forward in the direction of wave motion. This
results in water molecules that move through orbital paths as waves pass
2. Waves at the Shoreline-These happen when a wave reaches the shore and
slows down. The waves come closer to each other and also grow taller. The
orbital paths of water molecules become increasingly elliptical, most
especially at the base of these waves. Breakers eventually develop that
result in the collapse of the wave as it reaches its peak height.

18. 1. Coastal Sedimentation- When waves dominate the shorelines, fine
sediments remain suspended and are carried away, while the larger,
coarser sediments are left behind. The fine sediments that are carried
away are eventually transported by waves to different locations.
2. Coastal Erosion- Coastal erosion refers to the coastal process that
involves the removal of sediments and materials along coastlines. These
eroded materials are eventually transported by the action of waves to
new locations. In particular, destructive waves are the main cause of
coastal erosion as they break down landforms along coastlines.

19. Tides and waves can erode coastlines in a number of ways. These include:
 Abrasion: the action of waves causes pieces of sand or rock to hit the
surrounding landscapes, causing a scratching motion.
 Attrition: the action of waves causes small pebbles to grind with each other,
causing them to become smaller, smoother, and rounder
 Hydraulic action: when waves break and hit surfaces, compressed air found
in the crevices of these landscapes expands and exerts pressure on the
surrounding rock.

20. Coastal Transportation
The build-up and break down of coastal zones only happen with the help of
transport activities. Waves are the key factors that drive coastal
transportation. The following are events and actions that result in coastal
transportation.
1. Saltation: sediments that cannot be carried by the currents are transported
by bouncing on the ocean floor. This usually occurs for small pebbles and
large sand grains that are too heavy to be carried by currents
2. Suspension: sediments here remain suspended and are transported by the
flow of currents. Sediments here are not too heavy, and thus they can be
carried along by the currents.

21. 1.Traction: heavy sediments roll along the seabed. Sediments here
are usually heavy, and cannot be carried by currents, thus they
settle at the bottom of the ocean and can only be moved by
means of rolling.
2.Solution: minerals in sediments may get dissolved in the ocean
water and become part of a solution. These are usually not visible
given that they have dissolved and have incorporated into the sea
water.