UK Physical Landscape: Revision and Exam Practice

This final lesson consolidates everything you have learned across the topic. It provides key terms glossaries, comparison tables, landform formation sequences, a revision checklist, and exam technique guidance to help you achieve your best possible grade.

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Key Terms Glossary: Coastal Processes and Landforms

Term	Definition
Abrasion	Erosion caused by rocks and sediment being hurled against a surface by waves
Arch	A natural bridge of rock over the sea, formed when two caves on either side of a headland erode through to meet
Attrition	Rocks colliding with each other and becoming smaller, smoother, and more rounded
Backwash	The flow of water back down the beach under gravity
Bar	A ridge of deposited material that completely blocks a bay
Bay	An indentation in the coastline where softer rock has been eroded
Beach nourishment	Adding sand or shingle to a beach to replace eroded material
Concordant coastline	Coast where rock bands run parallel to the shore
Constructive wave	A low, long wave with strong swash that deposits material
Deposition	Material being dropped by the sea when wave energy decreases
Destructive wave	A tall, steep wave with strong backwash that erodes material
Differential erosion	Rocks of different hardness eroding at different rates
Discordant coastline	Coast where rock bands run perpendicular to the shore
Fetch	The distance of open water over which wind blows
Groyne	A barrier built perpendicular to the coast to trap sediment
Hard engineering	Physical structures built to protect the coast
Headland	A promontory of hard rock jutting out into the sea
Hydraulic action	Erosion by the force of water and compressed air
Longshore drift	Transport of sediment along the coast by wave action
Managed retreat	Deliberately allowing the sea to flood low-value land
Rock armour	Large boulders placed to absorb wave energy
Salt marsh	Marshy habitat formed from accumulated fine sediment in sheltered areas
Sand dune	Mound of wind-deposited sand on the coast
Sea wall	A wall built along the coast to reflect wave energy
Soft engineering	Management techniques that work with natural processes
Solution	Chemical erosion where weak acids dissolve soluble rock
Spit	A narrow ridge of deposited material extending from the coast
Stack	An isolated pillar of rock in the sea
Stump	The eroded remains of a collapsed stack
Swash	The rush of water up the beach after a wave breaks
Tidal range	The difference in height between high and low tide
Tombolo	A bar connecting the mainland to an offshore island
Wave-cut notch	An indentation eroded at the base of a cliff
Wave-cut platform	A flat area of rock at the base of a retreating cliff

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Key Terms Glossary: River Processes and Landforms

Term	Definition
Abrasion	Rocks carried by the river scrape against the bed and banks
Braided channel	A river that splits into multiple interwoven channels
Catchment	The area of land that drains into a river
Delta	A flat area of deposited sediment at a river's mouth
Discharge	Volume of water flowing past a point, measured in cumecs (m³/s)
Floodplain	Flat area of land on either side of a river, prone to flooding
Gorge	A narrow, steep-sided valley formed by waterfall retreat
Hjulström curve	Graph showing the velocity needed to erode, transport, and deposit different particle sizes
Hydraulic action	Erosion by the force of water against rock surfaces
Hydrograph	A graph showing how discharge changes over time during a flood
Interlocking spurs	Ridges of rock that the river winds between in its upper course
Lag time	The delay between peak rainfall and peak discharge
Lateral erosion	The river eroding sideways, widening its channel
Levee	A raised bank of sediment alongside a river channel
Meander	A sinuous curve in a river's course
Ox-bow lake	A crescent-shaped lake formed when a meander is cut off
Peak discharge	The maximum discharge during a flood event
Plunge pool	A deep pool at the base of a waterfall
Rejuvenation	A river gaining renewed erosive energy (e.g., from sea-level fall)
River cliff	The steep, eroded outer bank of a meander
River terrace	A flat remnant of an old floodplain above the current level
Saltation	Particles bounced along the river bed
Slip-off slope	The gentle, deposited inner bank of a meander
Solution	Dissolved minerals carried invisibly in the water
Suspension	Fine particles carried within the water column
Traction	Large particles rolled along the river bed
V-shaped valley	A steep-sided, narrow valley in a river's upper course
Vertical erosion	The river eroding downwards, deepening the channel
Waterfall	A steep drop where water flows over hard rock underlain by soft rock

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Coastal vs River Processes: Comparison Table

Feature	Coastal	River
Main erosion agent	Waves	Flowing water
Hydraulic action	Air compressed in cracks by waves	Water forced into cracks by river flow
Abrasion	Sediment hurled at cliffs by waves	Sediment scrapes the bed and banks
Attrition	Pebbles collide in the surf	Rocks collide as they are transported
Solution	Seawater dissolves limestone/chalk	River water dissolves limestone/chalk
Transport direction	Along the coast (longshore drift)	Downstream (towards the sea)
Transport methods	Longshore drift (traction, saltation, suspension, solution)	Traction, saltation, suspension, solution
Deposition trigger	Waves lose energy (calm conditions, sheltered areas)	River loses energy (gentle gradient, obstacles, flooding)
Main erosion landforms	Headlands, bays, cliffs, wave-cut platforms, caves, arches, stacks	V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, gorges, meanders, river cliffs
Main deposition landforms	Beaches, spits, bars, tombolos, sand dunes, salt marshes	Floodplains, levees, deltas, slip-off slopes
Management approaches	Sea walls, groynes, rock armour, beach nourishment, managed retreat	Dams, flood walls, channel straightening, afforestation, washlands

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Landform Formation Sequences

Caves → Arches → Stacks → Stumps

1. Waves exploit a weakness (joint/fault) in a headland.
2. Hydraulic action and abrasion widen the crack into a cave.
3. Caves on both sides may erode through to form an arch.
4. Weathering attacks the roof; it collapses, leaving a stack.
5. The stack is eroded at its base and collapses into a stump.

Waterfall → Gorge

1. River flows over hard rock above soft rock.
2. Soft rock is undercut → overhang of hard rock.
3. Plunge pool is deepened → overhang collapses.
4. Waterfall retreats upstream → gorge is left behind.

Meander → Ox-Bow Lake

1. Lateral erosion on outer bank (river cliff); deposition on inner bank (slip-off slope).
2. Meander grows; neck narrows.
3. During flood, river breaks through the neck.
4. Old loop is cut off and sealed by deposition → ox-bow lake.

Spit Formation

1. Longshore drift transports sediment along the coast.
2. Coastline changes direction (e.g., at a river mouth).
3. Sediment continues to be deposited → spit grows out.
4. Tip may be curved by wave refraction.
5. Salt marsh develops in the sheltered area behind.

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Revision Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure you have covered every part of the topic: