AQA A-level Geography · 3.1.3

Coastal landforms and sea level change

50 exam-style questions with answers for 3.1.3 Coastal landforms and sea level change in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official AQA material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Explain how a wave-cut platform forms. [4 marks]
Answer:
Waves attack the base of a cliff by hydraulic action and abrasion, forming a wave-cut notch (1); the overhanging rock above becomes unstable and collapses (1); the cliff retreats inland, leaving a gently sloping rocky surface (1); the platform is exposed at low tide and is gradually widened by further erosion and weathering (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Explain how the profile of a cliff is affected by geology. [3 marks]
Answer:
Resistant, horizontally bedded rocks form steep or vertical cliffs (1); weak rocks such as clay form gentle, slumped profiles (1); dipping strata can form cliffs that slope with the dip or are undercut against it (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Explain the formation of caves, arches, stacks and stumps. [5 marks]
Answer:
Waves exploit weaknesses such as joints and faults in a headland by hydraulic action and abrasion (1); the weaknesses widen into a cave (1); caves on opposite sides, or a deepening cave, break through to form an arch (1); weathering and erosion collapse the arch roof, leaving a stack (1); further erosion at the base reduces the stack to a stump (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Suggest factors that influence the rate at which cliffs retreat. [3 marks]
Answer:
Rock type and structure (1); wave energy, fetch and the presence of a protecting beach (1); sub-aerial processes such as weathering, mass movement and runoff, and human activity such as defences (1).
Question 5 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Explain why the Holderness coast in East Yorkshire erodes rapidly. [3 marks]
Answer:
The cliffs are made of soft boulder clay that is easily eroded and slumps when wet (1); the coast has a long fetch across the North Sea and strong waves from the north and east (1); longshore drift removes material southwards, and defences at some places starve beaches downdrift (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Explain how headlands and bays develop on a discordant coastline. [3 marks]
Answer:
Alternating bands of resistant and less resistant rock lie at right angles to the coast (1); waves erode the weaker rock more quickly, forming bays (1); the resistant rock is left protruding as headlands, which then experience concentrated wave attack through refraction (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Describe the coastal erosion landscape of the Twelve Apostles area on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia. [3 marks]
Answer:
High limestone cliffs along an exposed coast subject to powerful Southern Ocean waves (1); caves, arches and isolated stacks standing offshore (1); the stacks are gradually being eroded, and one collapsed in 2005 (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Erosional landforms
Distinguish between a wave-cut platform and a raised marine platform. [2 marks]
Answer:
A wave-cut platform is formed by present-day wave action at the base of a cliff (1); a raised marine platform lies above present sea level, left stranded after the sea level fell or the land rose (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain how a beach forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Constructive waves deposit sediment, because the swash is stronger than the backwash (1); sediment comes from rivers, cliff erosion, longshore drift and the sea bed (1); the beach is sorted, with coarser shingle higher up and finer sand lower down (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Describe three small-scale features found on beaches. [3 marks]
Answer:
Berms, ridges of sand or shingle at the high-tide mark or highest wave reach (1); cusps, small crescent-shaped dips along the shore (1); ridges and runnels, parallel ridges and shallow channels on gently sloping sand (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Compare sand and shingle beaches. [2 marks]
Answer:
Sand beaches are low-angled, formed from fine particles and carried by constructive waves and wind (1); shingle beaches are steeper, formed from larger pebbles and stones, which are deposited by higher energy waves (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain how a spit forms. [4 marks]
Answer:
Longshore drift transports sediment along the coast (1); where the coastline bends or meets an estuary, the sediment is deposited in the sheltered, deeper water (1); the deposit extends out from the land as a ridge of sand or shingle (1); changing wind and waves from another direction curve the end, forming a recurved tip, and a saltmarsh forms in the sheltered area behind (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Distinguish between a simple spit and a compound spit. [2 marks]
Answer:
A simple spit has a single recurved end (1); a compound spit has several recurved ends, showing earlier positions of the end as it grew or changed direction (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
What is a tombolo? Give an example. [2 marks]
Answer:
A spit or ridge of sediment that connects an island to the mainland or to another island (1); for example Chesil Beach connecting the Isle of Portland to the Dorset mainland (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain how offshore bars form. [3 marks]
Answer:
Waves break in shallow water and deposit sediment parallel to the shore (1); material is carried from the beach by backwash, undertow and storm waves (1); the deposit builds into a submerged or partly exposed ridge of sand or shingle (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain how barrier beaches form and move. [3 marks]
Answer:
An offshore bar builds above high tide level and joins or lies parallel to the coast (1); a lagoon or marsh may form behind it, as at Slapton Sands (1); rising sea level and storm overwash push the barrier landwards by rollover (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
What are barrier islands and where do they form? [3 marks]
Answer:
Long, narrow, sandy islands parallel to the coast, separated from the mainland by a lagoon (1); they form in areas with gentle offshore slopes, plentiful sediment and low tidal range, as on the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts (1); examples are the Outer Banks and Padre Island (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain how sand dunes form. [4 marks]
Answer:
Onshore winds blow dry sand from the beach (1); sand collects behind obstacles such as driftwood or plants, forming embryo dunes (1); pioneer plants such as marram grass stabilise the sand (1); dunes grow in height and become more stable, forming a sequence of fore dunes, yellow dunes and grey dunes inland (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Describe the changes along a sand dune succession from the shore inland. [3 marks]
Answer:
Bare sand and embryo dunes at the shore, with pioneer species tolerant of salt, drought and burial (1); organic matter builds up, soils develop and plant diversity and height increase inland (1); the oldest dunes, grey dunes, have more humus, shrubs and grasses, and dune slacks may hold water (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Describe three adaptations of marram grass to dune conditions. [3 marks]
Answer:
Long roots reach water deep in the sand (1); rolled leaves reduce water loss and shelter stomata from wind (1); it grows upwards when buried by sand, which stimulates growth (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain how a blowout forms in a dune. [2 marks]
Answer:
Vegetation is damaged by trampling, fire or storms (1); wind erodes the exposed sand and creates a hollow that grows larger (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Estuarine environments
Explain how mudflats form in estuaries. [3 marks]
Answer:
Rivers carry fine silt and clay into sheltered, low-energy estuaries (1); the mixing of fresh and salt water causes flocculation, which makes clay particles clump together and settle (1); mud accumulates between tides, building mudflats that are exposed at low tide (1).
Question 23 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Estuarine environments
What is flocculation? [1 mark]
Answer:
The clumping together of tiny clay particles in salt water, which makes them heavier so they sink.
Question 24 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Estuarine environments
Describe the succession of vegetation on a saltmarsh. [4 marks]
Answer:
Pioneer species such as glasswort and cord grass tolerate salt and regular flooding (1); they trap sediment and raise the marsh surface (1); less frequent flooding allows species such as sea lavender and sea purslane to colonise (1); the highest, driest zones develop rushes and grasses and may become scrub (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Estuarine environments
Explain how halophytes are adapted to saltmarsh conditions. [2 marks]
Answer:
They tolerate high salt levels by storing or excreting salt (1); air spaces in their roots and stems allow them to survive waterlogged, low-oxygen mud (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Estuarine environments
Describe the features of a saltmarsh. [2 marks]
Answer:
Creeks channels cut through the marsh, carrying tidal water (1); salt pans are shallow depressions where seawater evaporates and leaves salt (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Estuarine environments
Explain why saltmarshes are valuable. [3 marks]
Answer:
They absorb wave energy and reduce erosion and flood risk (1); they provide habitat for birds, fish nurseries and specialised plants (1); they store large amounts of carbon in their sediments (1).
Question 28 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Sea level change
Distinguish between eustatic and isostatic sea level change. [2 marks]
Answer:
Eustatic change is a global change in sea level caused by change in the volume of ocean water or the shape of ocean basins (1); isostatic change is a local rise or fall of the land relative to the sea caused by changes in the weight on the crust, such as ice (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Sea level change
Explain how tectonic activity can change relative sea level. [2 marks]
Answer:
Earthquakes and plate movements can raise or lower sections of coast suddenly (1); uplift causes relative sea level to fall, and subsidence causes it to rise (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Sea level change
Describe the major changes in sea level over the last 10,000 years. [3 marks]
Answer:
At the end of the last glaciation, sea level was far lower than today, around 40 m below the present level 10,000 years ago (1); the melting of ice sheets caused a rapid rise, which slowed about 6,000 years ago (1); sea level then remained fairly stable until the recent rise linked to global warming (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Sea level change
Explain why parts of Scotland are still rising relative to the sea while southern England is sinking. [3 marks]
Answer:
During the last glaciation, thick ice depressed Scotland (1); since the ice melted, Scotland has been slowly rebounding (isostatic recovery) (1); southern England, beyond the ice, was bulged upwards and is now subsiding in compensation (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Sea level change
How did rising sea level separate Britain from mainland Europe? [2 marks]
Answer:
After the last glaciation, melting ice caused the North Sea and English Channel to flood the low-lying land of Doggerland (1); this happened around 8,000 years ago, making Britain an island (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Emergence and submergence
Explain how raised beaches form. [3 marks]
Answer:
A beach forms at sea level (1); the land then rises relative to the sea, through isostatic recovery, or sea level falls (1); the former beach is left stranded above the present shore, often with a relict cliff behind it, as in west Scotland (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Emergence and submergence
Explain how a ria forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
A river valley in a lowland area that was not glaciated (1); is drowned by rising sea level after the last glaciation (1); producing a branching, steep-sided estuary that deepens towards the sea, as at Kingsbridge in Devon (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Emergence and submergence
Explain how a fjord forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
A glacier erodes a deep U-shaped valley below sea level (1); the ice melts, and sea level rises, flooding the valley (1); the fjord has steep sides and is deep, with a shallow threshold of rock or moraine at its mouth, as in Norway (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Emergence and submergence
Explain how a Dalmatian coast forms. [3 marks]
Answer:
Ridges and valleys run parallel to the coastline (1); rising sea level floods the valleys between the ridges (1); the ridges become long, narrow islands lying offshore, as on the coast of Croatia (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Emergence and submergence
Compare rias and fjords. [2 marks]
Answer:
Both are drowned valleys formed by rising sea level (1); rias are drowned river valleys, V-shaped and deepening seaward, whereas fjords are drowned glacial valleys, U-shaped with a shallow mouth (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Climate change and coasts
Describe recent changes in global sea level. [2 marks]
Answer:
Global mean sea level has risen by around 20 cm since 1900 (1); the rate has accelerated to about 3 to 4 mm per year in recent decades (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Climate change and coasts
Explain how climate change is expected to affect coasts. [4 marks]
Answer:
Sea level rise from thermal expansion and ice melt increases flood risk and erosion (1); storms and storm surges may become more intense (1); saltwater intrusion damages farmland and freshwater (1); coastal habitats such as saltmarshes, mangroves and coral reefs may be lost (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Climate change and coasts
Explain what is meant by coastal squeeze. [2 marks]
Answer:
Coastal habitats such as saltmarsh are trapped between rising sea level and fixed defences or development behind them (1); they cannot migrate landwards and are lost (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Climate change and coasts
Explain why small low-lying island states such as the Maldives are especially vulnerable to sea level rise. [2 marks]
Answer:
Most land is only 1 to 2 m above sea level, so flooding and erosion affect much of the territory (1); limited resources, freshwater contamination and few places to retreat to make adaptation difficult (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Process and time
Explain how time influences the development of a spit. [2 marks]
Answer:
As longshore drift continues, the spit extends and may develop several recurved ends (1); sheltered water behind allows saltmarsh to develop and succession to advance (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Process and time
Explain how a stack changes over time. [2 marks]
Answer:
Wave erosion and weathering gradually undercut the stack (1); it collapses to form a stump, which is eventually removed, leaving a wave-cut platform (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Quantitative skills
A cliff retreated by 36 m in 20 years. Calculate the mean annual rate of retreat. [2 marks]
Answer:
36 ÷ 20 (1); = 1.8 m per year (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Quantitative skills
Sea level rises at 3.5 mm a year. Calculate the rise over 50 years in centimetres. [2 marks]
Answer:
3.5 × 50 = 175 mm (1); = 17.5 cm (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Field data
Describe how dune succession could be investigated in the field. [3 marks]
Answer:
Lay a transect from the beach inland across the dune ridges (1); use quadrats at regular intervals to record plant species and percentage cover (1); measure soil depth, pH and moisture and relate them to the stage of succession (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Field data
Suggest why data on cliff retreat may be unreliable. [2 marks]
Answer:
Measurements from maps, photographs or surveys may be taken at different times and scales (1); retreat is irregular, with large losses during storms, so averages hide big variations (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Name two examples of spits in the UK. [2 marks]
Answer:
Any two from: Spurn Head, Humber estuary (1); Orford Ness, Suffolk (1); Hurst Castle spit, Hampshire (1); Dawlish Warren, Devon (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
What is a lagoon? [1 mark]
Answer:
A shallow body of water separated from the open sea by a barrier such as a spit, bar or barrier beach.
Question 50 · Spec 3.1.3.3 · Depositional landforms
Explain why a wide beach reduces cliff erosion. [2 marks]
Answer:
A wide, gently sloping beach absorbs and dissipates wave energy as waves break across it (1); less energy reaches the base of the cliff, so there is less undercutting (1).

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