Top Spec Geography: Coasts

Students have probably studied basic coastal processes and the resulting coastal features at GCSE. This book will help move their thinking to a higher level by placing coasts within a scientific systems-based approach. Coasts are a very popular option within the ‘Landform systems’ compulsory core of all four A level specifications. Given that only a few of the world’s countries do not have a coast, they are areas of global importance – economically, socially and environmentally.

This book considers:

• Coastal systems, including analysis of how they operate and key concepts such as feedback, equilibrium and threshold.
• The role and relative importance of waves, tides and currents as processes that shape the coast both spatially and over time.
• The landforms and processes at rocky (largely erosional) coasts and sandy (depositional) coasts, both with appropriate exemplification.
• People-environment relationships at the coast – not only the impact of coasts on people, but also how people use and manage the coastal environment. Extended online case studies will allow students to look at examples in more depth.
• Coasts as dynamic environments, demonstrating how it is possible to study change over short periods of time (e.g. the impact of a winter storm), as well as long-term predictions, including the future impact of rising sea levels.
• The complex issues relating to the role of sea-level changes and coastal response to them.
• The latest thinking on coastal management strategies.

Contents
Chapter 1: Coastal systems
Chapter 2: Coastal processes
Chapter 3: Rocky coasts
Chapter 4: Depositional coasts
Chapter 5: Sea-level change and coastal response
Chapter 6: Coastal management

Online resources
Each book in the Top Spec Geography series has a range of supplementary materials and resources. Details on how to access these can be found in the book.