Lesson 3.1.3.6

3.1.3.6 Coasts: case studies Quiz: AQA Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.3.6, Coasts: case studies: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Geography (7037), Unit 1: Physical geography, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. A local coastal case study should primarily aim to:

    • Provide only a photograph gallery of the beach, with captions describing each image
    • Describe the history of local fishing with no process analysis of the coastline itself
    • List every species of plant found along the coast, with a record of each plant's local name
    • Illustrate fundamental coastal processes and their landform outcomes using field data

  2. Which element is essential in a contrasting coastal case study beyond the UK?

    • A description of weather without any link to landforms, which describes the climate alone
    • A list of tourist hotels only, which shows the number of beds available in the resort area
    • A list of the coastline's length without interpretation, which gives the measurement only
    • An evaluation of how the coastline presents risks and opportunities for human occupation

  3. Which evaluation is most appropriate for a case study of coastal flood defence?

    • Assessing only the cost of building the defence, which is the sole measure of its success
    • Assessing whether the defence has reduced flood risk while considering effects on adjacent coasts
    • Assessing only the number of visitors after completion, which shows how popular the site is
    • Assessing only the appearance of the defence, which is judged by its design and colour alone

  4. A case study finds a sea wall has protected a town but lowered the beach in front of it. What is the most appropriate conclusion?

    • The wall should be removed without considering the town's flood risk, because it has damaged the beach
    • The wall reduced flood risk for the town but created a beach loss that must be weighed in the overall evaluation
    • The wall is a complete success with no drawbacks, since the town is now protected from the sea
    • The wall has no effect on the beach in front of it, which remains stable as before its construction

  5. Which human response best illustrates resilience in a coastal community case study?

    • Removing all coastal habitats to make space for development, which increases the land available for housing
    • Building the largest possible wall regardless of cost or the effects on the surrounding coast
    • Adjusting land use and warning systems so the community can recover quickly from flooding
    • Ignoring the hazard because it occurs infrequently, so that no preparation is made for future events

  6. Which feature of a contrasting coastal case study makes it useful for comparison?

    • An identical setting with no differences in process or rock, which gives the same result each time
    • A different process setting, such as a different tidal range or rock type, with clear contrasts in landforms
    • A setting with no coast at all, which is inland and far from the sea in every direction
    • A setting chosen only because it is near the case study researcher's home and easy to visit

  7. Which measure best shows the human response of mitigation in a coastal case study?

    • The average colour of the water near the shore, which reflects the amount of sediment in suspension
    • Reduction in flood exposure or erosion rates achieved by a scheme over time
    • The number of signs placed along the beach, which shows how much information is provided to visitors
    • The total length of the coastline in kilometres, which is the same before and after the scheme

  8. Which approach would give the strongest case study evidence for a local coastal process?

    • A single visit with no measurements, which records only the general impressions of the site
    • Repeated field measurements of beach or cliff change combined with wave and tide data
    • Anecdotes from visitors with no records, which describe what they remember seeing
    • A general textbook description with no local data, which applies to coasts in general

  9. What is the most important consideration when using a case study of a managed coastline to draw general conclusions?

    • Recognising that local conditions and management choices may limit how far the results apply elsewhere
    • Assuming every coast behaves identically to the case study, so the results transfer directly everywhere
    • Ignoring differences in wave energy between coasts, which are not thought to matter for erosion
    • Treating one site's results as universal without qualification, since one case is enough for a general rule

  10. Which description best matches the term sustainable coastal management in a case study?

    • Management that balances protection of people and property with long-term environmental and economic sustainability
    • Management that maximises short-term construction regardless of the environmental effects that follow
    • Management that relies on a single engineering structure for all time, with no review of its performance
    • Management that removes all natural coastal features, so that the shoreline is uniform and easy to maintain

  11. Which result would most strongly suggest that a managed coastline is becoming less sustainable?

    • Stable dune vegetation with growing biodiversity, which shows the habitats are recovering
    • Reduced flood losses with habitat recovery, which shows the scheme is meeting its aims
    • Increasing sediment on a beach fed by natural processes, which shows the system is healthy
    • Growing downdrift erosion and increasing maintenance costs for hard defences over time

  12. In a coastal case study, what is an appropriate use of field data on sediment?

    • To establish the price of land in the area, which is the main concern of the coastal study
    • To decorate the report with colourful graphs unrelated to the question being investigated
    • To test a hypothesis about sediment supply or transport and link the results to the wider coastal system
    • To replace any analysis of processes, so that the report presents only the raw numbers

  13. Which description of a coastal case study outcome is most balanced?

    • The scheme has no measurable effect on any aspect of the coast, which remains unchanged overall
    • The scheme made the coast entirely unsuitable for people, which ended all local settlement
    • The scheme reduced local risk but has created new challenges elsewhere that need monitoring
    • The scheme solved every coastal problem without cost, so there is nothing left to monitor

  14. Which combination is the strongest evidence for a case study of coastal erosion?

    • A map of the coastline with no dates, which shows the position of the coast at one time
    • Personal memories of a sunny summer holiday, which describe the appearance of the coast at the time
    • A general newspaper article without data, which reports the views of the writer
    • Measured cliff retreat, sediment budget data and records of storm events

  15. Which element is most useful in a local coastal case study on sediment?

    • A list of the species found in rock pools near the beach, with no link to sediment
    • A summary of the local population's dietary habits and the foods they buy locally
    • A description of the colour of the sea at midday on a sunny day in summer
    • Measurements of beach change over time linked to wave and tide data

  16. What should an evaluation of a coastal case study consider about sustainable management?

    • The effects on neighbouring coasts and the costs and benefits over the long term
    • Only the height of the defence wall above the high tide line, which is a design measure
    • Only the immediate cost of construction, which is the simplest measure to obtain
    • Only the number of visitors to the new promenade, which measures popularity

  17. Which is an example of a human response to coastal erosion that shows adaptation?

    • Removing vegetation from the cliff top to increase the view for visitors
    • Building a larger concrete wall at the cliff base each decade to hold back the sea
    • Dredging offshore sand to speed up wave attack on the cliff face
    • Moving buildings away from the cliff edge as it retreats

  18. What does resilience mean for a coastal community?

    • The ability of the coast to remain completely unchanged by storms over many years
    • The height of the highest tide recorded in the local tide tables for the year
    • The speed of longshore drift along a beach in the summer months each year
    • The ability to withstand, prepare for and recover from coastal hazards such as storm flooding

  19. Which weakness should be recognised in a case study comparing a UK coast with a coast beyond the UK?

    • Differences in governance, data and wealth may limit how far the comparison can be generalised
    • Both coasts always have identical processes, so no differences need to be considered at all
    • The UK coast has no data, so no comparison can be made between the two case studies
    • Coasts beyond the UK are never affected by sea level change, so the comparison is trivial

  20. A case study finds that a beach has recovered after nourishment. Which further evidence would strengthen this?

    • A single photograph taken on a calm summer day, which shows the beach looking wide
    • A statement from the contractor that the work was successful, based on their own assessment
    • A map of the beach with no dates or measurements, which shows the layout only
    • Repeated profile surveys showing the beach width remaining stable over subsequent years

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