GY4027
Topic 7: Coastal Landscapes
This topic, we will look at landscapes shaped by rivers.
By the end of this topic you should be able to:
- Explain the main processes operating in coastal landscape areas
- Discuss the balance between erosion and deposition in coastal areas
- Describe the main coastal landforms
Lecture
Lecture slides: L7 Coastal Landscapes
Reading
Suggested Textbook
I suggest reading Chapter 13 of Huggett, R. (2017) Fundamentals of Geomorphology, 4th Edition. Routledge, London.
This is the chapter on coastal landscapes.
Available online.
Academic papers
- Blum, M.D. and Roberts, H.H. 2012. The Mississippi Delta Region: Past, Present, and Future. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 40, 655–683p. doi: 10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105248
This is a nice review paper summarising what is known about the Mississippi Delta.
- Zhao, Z., Mitchell, N.C., Quartau, R., Ramalho, R.S., and Rusu, L. 2020. Coastal erosion rates of lava deltas around oceanic islands. Geomorphology 370, 107410. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107410
I like this paper because it showcases some of the methods used in studying coastal geomorphology and erosion, which will be new to you, and also because it’s something a bit different (volcanic islands) but the conclusions are more broadly applicable.
Optional additional reading
In this lecture we looked at the gradual processes of coastal erosion and deposition.
It isn’t always gradual.
- Atwater, B.F. 1987 Evidence for Great Holocene Earthquakes along the Outer Coast of Washington State. Science 236, 942-944 Access via library
Virtual Field Trip
Virtual Field Trip: Mini-virtual field trip to the Shannon Estuary