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New
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Year 10
AQA

Landforms of coastal deposition

I can understand the characteristics and formation of landforms of coastal deposition.

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New
New
Year 10
AQA

Landforms of coastal deposition

I can understand the characteristics and formation of landforms of coastal deposition.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Beaches have distinctive characteristics and formation.
  2. Spits and bars have distinctive characteristics and formation.
  3. Sand dunes have distinctive characteristics and formation.

Keywords

  • Deposition - material, such as sand and pebbles, is dropped by waves, wind, or water when they lose energy

  • Longshore drift - movement of sediment along the coast by wave action in a zigzag pattern

  • Constructive waves - low waves, typically formed by distant storms, that deposit sediment onto beaches

Common misconception

Coastal deposition happens with strong powerful waves.

Deposition happens in areas with low-energy waves, such as bays or sheltered areas, where waves lose energy and can no longer carry their load of sediment.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Landforms of coastal deposition, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

GIS could be used to explore the growth of depositional landforms over time.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Beaches are made from ...
only sand.
Correct answer: sand, shingle, pebbles, mud.
sand and pebbles.
Q2.
Match the term with its description.
Correct Answer:constructive waves,low waves, that deposit sediment onto beaches
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low waves, that deposit sediment onto beaches

Correct Answer:destructive waves,high waves, that erode the coastline
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high waves, that erode the coastline

Correct Answer:longshore drift,zigzag movement of sediment along the coast by wave action
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zigzag movement of sediment along the coast by wave action

Q3.
is the process when material is laid down or added to a landform.
Correct Answer: Deposition
Q4.
Which of the following are landforms created by coastal erosion?
Correct answer: bay
hydraulic action
abrasion
Correct answer: arch
Q5.
Constructive waves have ...
a strong swash and weak backwash.
Correct answer: a weak backwash and a strong swash.
a strong swash and strong backwash.
a weak backwash and a weak swash.
Q6.
The movement of sediment along the coast by wave action in a zigzag pattern is known as ...
Correct answer: longshore drift.
constructive drift.
destructive drift.
shortshore drift.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which coastal landforms are created by deposition?
Correct answer: beaches
Correct answer: spits
Correct answer: bars
Correct answer: sand dunes
headlands
Q2.
Beach profiles are steeper and beaches are narrower in the winter due to more __________ waves.
Correct answer: destructive
constructive
longshore
Q3.
Spits are created by longshore drift. Put these statements, describing the process, in the correct order.
1 - Waves approach the coast at an angle due to the prevailing wind direction.
2 - The waves carry sediment along the shoreline.
3 - The coastline changes direction or a river mouth is reached.
4 - Longshore drift then deposits material from the beach into the sea.
5 - Over time, sediment builds up along from where the coast changes direction.
6 - The sand will build up until it is above sea level.
7 - Forming a narrow stretch of sand or shingle known as a spit.
Q4.
Bars form when longshore drift moves sediment across a ...
Correct answer: bay.
tombolo.
spit.
Q5.
Sand need a flat beach, plenty of sand, a wide tidal range, onshore winds and obstacles to form.
Correct Answer: dunes
Q6.
Sand dunes form when wind blows sand onto the land, and plants like marram stabilise the sand, trapping more sediment and allowing the dune to grow over time.
Correct Answer: grass