Why might managed retreat be more sustainable than building a sea wall?
Sea walls are expensive, deflect erosion elsewhere and reflect wave energy worsening beach loss; managed retreat works with natural processes, creates habitat and is cheaper long-term. Learn it step by step →
Coastal & Glacial Landscapes is a core part of A-Level Geography. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Key concepts
Hard EngineeringBuilt structures resisting marine processes.
Soft EngineeringWorking with natural processes, lower impact.
GroyneWooden or rock barrier trapping longshore drift.
Managed RealignmentStrategic retreat allowing coastline to move inland.
Sea WallVertical or curved concrete defence reflecting waves.
Cost BenefitComparison of intervention costs and avoided damages.
Hydraulic ActionAir compressed in cracks blasts rock apart.
AbrasionSediment scours cliff base at wave impact.
AttritionParticles knock together becoming rounder and smaller.
Longshore DriftSediment transport along coast by oblique waves.
Swash AlignedBeach where wave crests are parallel to shore.
Drift AlignedBeach formed by significant longshore transport.
LithologyPhysical and chemical properties of rock at coast.
Discordant CoastRock bands run perpendicular to shoreline.
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Learn Coastal & Glacial Landscapes step by step
Free interactive mini-lessons: short screens, worked examples and quick checks. Pick your exam board:
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:
Why might managed retreat be more sustainable than building a sea wall?✗ Sea walls always solve coastal erosion problems permanently.✓ Sea walls are expensive, deflect erosion elsewhere and reflect wave energy worsening beach loss; managed retreat works with natural processes, creates habitat and is cheaper long-term.
Why do some rivers form deltas and others form estuaries?✗ Deltas form on big rivers and estuaries on small ones.✓ Deltas form where rivers deposit sediment faster than the sea can remove it (calm seas, heavy load); estuaries form where tidal energy removes sediment (strong tides).
Practise Coastal & Glacial Landscapes — free games
Test yourself with these quick revision games for this topic:
