Parts of the Littoral Zone
The littoral zone consists of backshore, nearshore and offshore zones, includes a wide variety of coastal types, and is a dynamic zone of rapid change.
The littoral zone is the area of shoreline where land is subject to wave action. It's subdivided into offshore, nearshore, foreshore and backshore. (ONFB - OKAY NOW FRY BANANAS!)
sea - offshore - nearshore - foreshore - backshore - field with lots of cows
Offshore: The area of deeper water beyond the point at which waves begin to break. Friction between the waves and the sea bed may cause some distortion of the wave shape.
Nearshore: The area of shallow water beyond the low tide mark, within which friction between the seabed and waves distorts the wave sufficiently to cause it to break. (breaker zone) There may be a breakpoint bar between the offshore and nearshore zones.
Foreshore: The area between the high tide and the low tide mark.
Backshore: The area above the high tide mark, affected by wave action only during major storm events.
The littoral zone is the area of shoreline where land is subject to wave action. It's subdivided into offshore, nearshore, foreshore and backshore. (ONFB - OKAY NOW FRY BANANAS!)
sea - offshore - nearshore - foreshore - backshore - field with lots of cows
Offshore: The area of deeper water beyond the point at which waves begin to break. Friction between the waves and the sea bed may cause some distortion of the wave shape.
Nearshore: The area of shallow water beyond the low tide mark, within which friction between the seabed and waves distorts the wave sufficiently to cause it to break. (breaker zone) There may be a breakpoint bar between the offshore and nearshore zones.
Foreshore: The area between the high tide and the low tide mark.
Backshore: The area above the high tide mark, affected by wave action only during major storm events.
A wide variety of coastal types (this is basically 2B.1B)
The littoral zone forms three types of coastal landscape:
- Rocky, cliffed coastline
- areas of high relief varying from a few metres to hundreds of metres in height
- usually form in areas with resistant geology, in a high energy environment, where erosion is greater than deposition and big, stormy (not Daniels) waves. Destructive waves!
- Sandy coastline
- areas of low relief with sand dunes and beaches, that are much flatter.
- they usually form in areas with:
- less resistant geology
- a low energy environment
- where deposition > erosion
- constructive waves
- Estuarine coastline
- Areas of low relief with salt marshes and mudflats (estuaries)
- They form:
- in river mouths
- where deposition > erosion
- in a low energy environment
- usually in areas of less resistant rock
A dynamic zone (one of movement and change) of rapid change
There are constantly changing inputs, through flows, and outputs of energy and material. (short term)
There are also long-term changes, e.g. sea level variation due to climate change.
And short term changes (e.g. high and low tide variation over the lunar month; wave energy variation due to weather conditions)
There are also long-term changes, e.g. sea level variation due to climate change.
And short term changes (e.g. high and low tide variation over the lunar month; wave energy variation due to weather conditions)