You are on page 1of 18

Name of candidate: kimone flowers Subject: Geography Teacher: Mrs.

mighty

Contents

Aim Location of study Methodology Presentation of data and analysis Erosional and depositional features Conclusion Bibliography

Aim
The aim of the research
To identify and describe the effects of wave processes on the development of coastal landforms along Robins Bay in northern Jamaica, St. Mary

Analyze the influence of local rock structure on the development of coastal landforms in each locality. .

Location of study

Figure 1 showing a drawing of the studied location

Key
parish river Studied location

A drawing of Robins Bay St. Mary

Key
Main roads Secondary road River Mountain

Methodology
Where: The field took place along Robins Bay in the three localities: Don Christophers cove, Peytons cove and Peytons Point. When: The field trip was held on October 09, 2013.It started at 10:40 am and ended at 2:30pm. How: Two students were asked to go in the water, to measure the wave height. The meter rule was placed in the water for the students to state the low reading which is the trough and the high reading which is the crest. This was done five times at the stops: Don Christophers Cove and Peytons Cove. This was done to ensure accuracy. To get the wave frequency a stop watch was used. It was used to time how many waves came on shore every sixty seconds. This was done five times. The periods were calculated by dividing time by the number of waves. At the two stops: Don Christophers cove and Peytons Point , students were asked to take up thirty (30) rock samples randomly. Each rock sample was measured by using a centimeter ruler to state the size of the rock which is the long axis and short axis. Cameras were used to capture the different landforms seen. Notebooks were used to record information. Diagrams were drawn and observations were made of landforms. Secondary sources were used such as textbooks

A sketch diagram of rock types at Robins bay

Sketch 1:showing rock types along Robins bay

In sketch 1, limestone rocks have more resistant than shale rocks. Although limestone rocks are more resistant than shale rocks, it can be eroded by processes such as hydraulic action. Where there are limestone rocks, landforms such as cliff and arch will form due to the process of hydraulic action. While where there are shale rocks, landforms such as beach will form

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 DON Christopher's Cove Peyton's Cove

Fig 1showing rock shapes

There are more rounded rocks at Don Christophers cove than Peytons cove due to the process of attrition and the distance it takes the rock to travel downstream. The process of attrition whereas sand grains and small stones are thrown against each other in the breaking waves. They are broken up and worn into rounded shape.

Crest 45 46 47 41 46

Trough 35 25 30 35 30

Height 0.1 m 0.21 m 0.17 m 0.06 m 0.16 m

Table 1 showing the wave height at Don Christophers cove

Crest 76 84 76 69 70

Trough 50 50 45 51 50

Height 0.26 m 0.34 m 0.31 m 0.18 m 0.2 m

Table 2 showing wave height at Peytons Cove

The crest is the highest point of a wave and the trough is the lowest point of a wave. The difference between the crest and the trough gives the wave height. Peytons Cove wave height is much higher than that of Don Christophers Cove. This was because of the wave-cut platform at Don Christophers Cove. According to David Waugh, as each wave crest near the coast, it tends to drag in the shallow water moves forward while that shallows water is retarded ( by fictional drag), causing the wave to bend thats what the wave cut platform does to the wave. Also as the cliff continues to retreat, the widening of the platform means that the incoming waves break further out to the sea and have to travel over a wider area of the beach. This dissipates their energy thus reducing the rate of erosion.

Time 60 60 60 60 60

Number of waves 12 14 13 14 12

Period(s) 6 4.29 4.62 4.29 5

Table 3 showing wave frequency at Don Christophers cove

Time 60 60 60 60 60

Number of waves 19 15 15 13 15

Period (s) 3.12 4 4 4.62 4

Table 4 showing the wave frequency at Peytons Point

Wave frequency can be described as the number of crests and troughs of a wave that pass a given point in a specified period of time, usually 1 second. At both localities the number of waves was counted in a 60(sixty) second time period. The type of wave that was evident was destructive wave. According to Mark Wilson (pg 57), destructive waves are plunging breakers, where the crest of the wave curls forward over a large air pocket and then vertically downwards. These erode the beach. These waves generally have a steep profile, a short wavelength and a greater frequency, with ten to fourteen waves per minute. At Peytons there was more waves reaching the shore in a 1 minute period than Don Christophers Cove.

Rock Types

shale sandstone limestone Igenous

Rock Types

shale sandstone limestone Quartz

Figure 2: showing rock types at Don Christophers Cove and Peytons Poin

As seen in figure 2, shale rock type proved to be the dominant rock type at both Don Christophers cove and Peytons cove. Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and ting fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. It was most dominant at Don Christophers cove than Peytons cove. It results in the formation of wave-cut platform at Don Christophers cove. According to the Mark Wilson, (pg 50), lime stones are which are made up of mainly of calcium carbonate. Limestone is weathered by carbonation. Calcium

carbonate, the main mineral in limestone, reacts to rain water. The reaction forms calcium bicarbonate, a soluble mineral which can be washed away. Limestone was dominant at Peytons point than Don Christophers cove. Limestone rocks are more resistant to erosion than shale rocks thus resulting in the formation of landforms such as cliff and stack.

EROSIONAL AND DEPOSITIONAL FEATURES

Photograph1: showing the different landforms

Peytons point is a limestone area .It was uplifted because of tectonic movement. According to Paul Guinness pg. (73), limestone is hard rock but it can also be permeable. It can be eroded by some processes such as hydraulic action. Being permeable it allows water to seep into it, along lines of weakness known as joints and bedding planes. Destructive waves are formed by local storms close to the coast. They are closely spaced and often interfere with each other, producing a chaotic swirling mass of water. At Peytons Point, destructive waves were present as shown by the erosive landforms such as: cliff, arch and stack. A cliff is form by the process of hydraulic action. This involves the sheer power of water as it smashes into a cliff. Furthermore trapped air is blasted into holes and cracks into rock, eventually causing fragments of rock to break ofAccording to Paul Guinness, the energy of the waves is concentrated on these weaker points, gouging out the rock to form a sea cave. Overtime, erosion may lead to two backto-back caves breaking through a headland to form an arch. Gradually the arch is enlarged by erosion at the base and by weathering processes acting on the roof. Eventually the roof collapses to form isolated pillars of rock known as stack and stumps.

Photograph 2 showing stack and stump

Photograph 3 :headlands and bays

According Vohn A.M Rahli, (pg124) headlands and bays are formed where there are alternating beds of hard and soft rocks, the hard rocks offer a greater degree of resistance to erosion. They eventually stand out as headlands, that is, as promontories, with steep cliff sides projecting out into the sea. The softer rocks are easily eroded as they are less resistant to marine erosion. In due course a circular indentation or curve in the land called a bay is formed.

Sketch 2; showing rock types at Don Christophers Cove

The formation of a beach is the result of deposition of material carried by swash and backwash on the gentle sloping coastline. The swash has greater force than the backwash so that there is gradual accumulation of material on coast. According to Mark Wilson, constructive waves deposit material on the shore, building a beach. Most beaches are made of sand and some beaches are made up of small stones, or pebbles. Sand beaches are most often found in sheltered bays where they are called bayhead beaches.

Two types of beaches are: Shingle beach- shingle beaches are made up of pebble size water smoothed stones and cobbles (rock particles size between 2mm and 256mm). Often this grade of rock is referred to as gravel. Shingle beaches form on shorelines where rock fragments have been eroded and transported by wave activity such as eroding coastal cliffs or as a result of rivers delivering shingle to the coast. The shingle is moved by waves along beaches by process known as longshore drift forming long shingle beaches. While on the other hand sandy beaches are soft shores that are formed by deposition of particles that have been carried by water currents from other areas. The transported material is in part derived from the erosion of shores, but the major part is derived from the land and transported by rivers to the sea.

Photograph 4: showing a sandy beach at Don Christophers Cove

CONCLUSION There were more rounded rocks at Don Christophers cove than Peytons Point due to the process of attrition. Erosive landforms that were formed were due to the process of hydraulic action. Limestone rocks are more resistant to erosion as shale rocks are soluble. Therefore limestone rocks can be weathered by carbonation. Destructive was present at the three localities but it was more present at Peytons Point because of the force of the wave. Wave processes are powerful natural forces that help to shape the coast by erosion, transportation and deposition.

BIBLOGRAPHY

Guinness, Paul.Nagle,Garrett.(2008).Geography For Csec:Nelson Thomas, United Kingston. Wilson, Mark. (2005).The Caribbean Environment For CXC Geography: Oxford University Press, New York. Rahil, A.M., Vohn.(2002).New Caribbean Geography:Pre Press Service, Trinidad.

You might also like