There are three main geographical processes that call for Coastal Management, these are the Transportation Process, the Coastal Erosion process and Processes of coastal deposition. These processes continue to ruin our coasts and slowly destroy them. There are a number of strategies to maintain these processes such as building a sea wall, offshore breakwater or a Groyne.

In the Process of Erosion there are three main ways the sea can erode the Land which are Hydraulic action which is when the sheer force of waves hit the shore, Corrasion which is when waves hurl material such as rocks against the shore and corrosion which is when weaker layers of rock dissolve in sea water because of salt crystallization. Erosion depends on the amount of wave energy there is. In calm conditions there is a less of a chance of erosion and therefore deposition occurs. When there is high wave energy, it is more likely for erosion to occur. Many different landforms are formed in the result of erosion such as headlands, blowholes, arches, stacks, caves and rock platforms.

The process of Deposition is when sediments are transported to the coast by rivers, waves and currents. Under storm conditions, waves remove material from the beach, whereas gentle winds produce waves that are low and flat, leading to the movement of sand onshore. Sand dunes are a main feature produced by deposition. They are formed by sand being blown to the back of the beach where vegetation begins to grow, and that vegetation then helps stabilize the dunes formed. Other common depositional features are beaches, dunes, bars, barriers and spits.

The transportation process is the movement of material across the earth’s surface. During transportation, waves approach at an angle whilst moving material along the beach in a zigzag movement, this is called Longshore Drift. There are also two major types of waves, constructive, which is when the waves are lower and flatter and carry sediment up to the beach and destructive, which are large and steep waves that remove sand and material from the beach.

Despite the affects these processes have on the coast there are ways to maintain them. One way is the construction of Groynes, which is an artificial structure designated to trap sand being moved by long shore drift. These help protect the beach and limits the movement of sediment. Unfortunately they do not stop sand movement that occurs directly offshore and are visually unappealing to the public eye. Groynes are built all around Australia especially in Gold Coast Beaches such as Kirra point and Miles Treet.

Another strategy to help maintain these processes is building sea walls. Sea walls are a form of coastal defense against the impacts of the sea directly on landforms. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation,