Coasts on the Move · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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Coasts That Never Sit Still

Geography · Physical Geography · ages 11-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Different rock bands meet the sea along a coast. Which usually erodes into a bay?

    • The more resistant rock band
    • The less resistant rock band
    • Both bands at an equal rate

  2. What is longshore drift?

    • Sediment moving along a beach
    • Sediment falling down a cliff
    • Sediment settling on the seabed

  3. Beaches, spits and bars can form through deposition of sand or shingle.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which pair can form through wave erosion of coastal rock?

    • A spit and a sand bar
    • A cave and a rock arch
    • A beach and a sand dune

  5. Repeated swash carries sand diagonally east up a beach. Backwash returns down the slope. Which process supplies sand further east?

    • Cliff erosion carrying sediment directly west
    • Deposition carrying sediment up the beach
    • Longshore drift moving sediment east

  6. A seawall is a hard barrier along the shore that can protect land behind it from waves.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A town restores marsh vegetation on a sheltered shore. Which explanation links the plants' stems and roots to reduced erosion?

    • Stems slow water; roots hold soil
    • Roots slow the waves; stems anchor the soil
    • Plants protect mainly by absorbing seawater

  8. Sand drifts east. A new groyne traps sand on its west side, and less reaches the beach to its east. Why can erosion increase there?

    • More sediment passes beyond the groyne
    • Wave erosion stops beyond the groyne
    • Less sediment replaces losses
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Coasts That Never Sit Still W1-mt_IVnXDRpfqE-s1

  1. The less resistant rock band · The less resistant band wears back faster, leaving a bay between more resistant headlands.
  2. Sediment moving along a beach · Angled swash and returning backwash repeatedly move sediment along the beach.
  3. True · These landforms can grow as transported sediment is deposited.
  4. A cave and a rock arch · Waves can enlarge cracks into caves and erode through a headland to form an arch.
  5. Longshore drift moving sediment east · Repeated trips up the beach at an angle and back down the slope move sand east along the beach.
  6. True · A seawall stands between waves and the land it is designed to protect.
  7. Stems slow water; roots hold soil · Stems can slow moving water and help sediment settle. Roots hold soil. The amount of protection depends on the site and storm.
  8. Less sediment replaces losses · The eastern beach receives less replacement sediment while waves can still remove material.
Worksheet · LightMySky