InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society > Student Materials > Section 1: Introduction to the Coastal Zone: Society, Landforms, and Processes > Module 3: Coastal Systems: Landscapes and Processes > Environments of Coastal Zones
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: December 7, 2016

Environments of Coastal Zones

In what sort of tectonic setting would you expect rocky coasts most often? What is the role of different rock types in how erosion may take place along an uplifted, high wave energy rocky environment?

Rocky Coasts

Some estimates suggest that nearly 75% of the world's shorelines are considered rocky coasts meaning that the shoreline consists of erosionally resistant cohesive bedrock or sediment that has been recently cemented together to form a cohesive unit (Figures. 3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4). Most often, rocky coasts are in areas of high wave energy and are erosional with only localized areas where sediment might accumulate, such as small beaches between rocky headlands (Figure 3.4). They exist across a wide range of geologic settings including very mountainous regions, areas that have been or are covered with glacial ice, or along volcanoes that are located in the open oceans. Although rocky coastlines may be present on passive, trailing tectonic margins, they are most frequently located along collisional tectonic margins.

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »