Outline the main geographical processes relevant to Coastal Management.
There are several processes that affect the coast and so demand action from those who want to effective coastal management. Processes like longshore drift, erosion and corrosion will directly affect the coast and so things like seawalls, revetments and gabions are put in place to slow down that action.
Processes:
Longshore drift: waves coming in at an angle will pick up sand on a beach and deposit it further up the coast and so will eventually alter the shape of the beach.
Erosion: factors like wind and rain will 'eat' away at the rocks on the coast and wear them away.
Corrosion: Saltwater from the sea can react with certain metals in the rocks and this also will waer the rocks down.
Reactions to these processes:
Seawalls: are usually barriers made of concrete that stop erosion by firstly stopping the water even coming into contact with the rocks and parts of the beach and also serves as a wind shield.
Revtments: They are wooden slanted or upright barriers that protect by allowing waves to break and dissipate on these barriers.
Gabions: These are rocks and boulders put into a wire mesh cage. They absorb the energy from waves and because there are gaps in the rocks it spreads this energy around these gaps.
