Processes at the Headland

Several processes operate in New Zealands c___________ environments. Those with the most
pronounced effect are v_________ism, faulting, wave action and wind action. Other smaller scale
processes such as haloclasty and wetting and d____________ cycles also operate. The products
of these processes can be seen at Muriwai Beach on Aucklands W_________ Coast, including a
receding h_______________ with shore platform, a stack, a fore dune and ancient dune ridges
and a long d____________tive beach face.
O______________ Point is a headland at the s________________ end of Muriwai Beach. Several
processes have shaped the feature as it is today, but the first that should be discussed is
volcanism and the laying down of the two dominant geological structures the Tirikohua formation
and the Nihotupu formation. The Tirikohua formation is composed of coarse volcanic material and
sandstone, formed underwater and uplifted. This formation makes up O_______________ Point,
whereas the more easily eroded Awhitu sandstone makes up the area landward of the beach.
The operation of wave action at the cliff face of this headland is evidenced by n____________
near the base. Creation of notches is aided by sediment held in the waves/water scraping against
the cliff (a___________). Wetting-drying cycles between the tides and salt weathering
(h_______________) causing frittering of the rock surface also contribute to cliff/headland
erosion, creating smooth cliff faces with visor overhangs. Erosion rates are not uniform along the
cliff face due to varying rock composition (ie level of r____________) and weaknesses such as
fr____________.
Although wave r_______________ is concentrating wave energy on this headland, the more
resistant rock causes this outcrop, while the beach/bays on either side are shaped further inland.
Slowing headland retreat is the shore platform. At Muriwai this extends 20-50 metres seaward of
the headland. Cliff erosion is limited by the shallower platform causing the waves to lose a
significant amount of e______________ before they arrive at the cliff base. Once part of the
headland, the shore platform remains at a low-intertidal level, ie near wave base level where wave
energy is l_____________. Because the platform is wet most of the time, the pores remain
saturated and thus have greater r_______________ to erosive forces. Erosional processes are not
entirely absent however. Abrasion does happen occur but wetting and drying cycles have a more
significant effect. Temperature changes and associated e_______________ and
c_______________ of the rock contribute to surface erosion, as does the growth of s_________
crystals in fractures.
Weaknesses in the shore platform such as geological make up and jointing will lead to varying
erosion rates across the platform. At Muriwai, j___________ can be seen in an obvious grid
pattern on the surface. This jointing is also seen vertically and provides the weakness required to
form a blow hole on the North-Western side of the platform. Severe mechanical erosion occurs on
the jointed edges of the platform at Muriwai, especially during storm periods when wave energy is
higher.
Another coastal feature is a stack such as M__________ Stack at the Southern end of Muriwai
Beach. A stack is a feature related to the headland recession mentioned above. Wave action
focuses on w________________ in the headland. When a fracture or area of softer rock is large
enough, hydraulic pressure or qu____________ and mechanical erosion on this area will cause it
to erode more quickly. Caves may develop as a result of the wave action. A partial collapse of the
cave roof could result in a b_______________(from which spray shoots up under pressure at high
tide). If the headland is being attacked from both sides (due to refraction) creating two caves, the
caves may meet and form an arch. Collapse of the arch leaves a segment of the headland
detached a stack
The stack may display similar features to the headland and shore platform. Motutara Stack has a
small platform on its Eastern side, as well as distinct notches.

Processes at the Dunes

While Aeolian processes have minimal influence on headland and i___________ platform erosion,
its role in formation and destruction of sand dunes is much more apparent. Muriwai has a line of
a_________ dunes running the length of the beach. They are located at the high tide level and are
frequently undercut. This points out the importance of also recognising wave and current action in
their formation and more importantly, destruction.
Sand ac_____________ occurs due to wave action bringing sediment onshore by s_______. Sand
deposited on the beach dries at low tide and is en______________ed by the wind. Through the
process of s_______________, sand is carried further onshore in short hops. As sand particles
drop to the ground, they may kick up other particles which are then also carried by the wind. In this
manner, large quantities of sand can be moved inland.
Plants such a p__________, s___________ and the introduced m_________ grass reduce wind
velocity near the ground and sand being carried by the wind is deposited. As the sand builds up
into a dune, the plants also grow and thus, the dunes are built up. The better the cover of
vegetation, the less likely it is that sand will be further tr_____________.
The wind may also cause erosion in areas that are not covered by v__________ (deflation) and at
times deflation hollows occur following human or animal induced damage to the ground cover
(blowouts).
At Muriwai beach where an o______________ wind dominates which is often quite a strong wind,
movement of sand is obvious. Much of the fore dune facing the water is free of vegetation and
sand is readily blown over the top to the lee of the dune or to the flat dune landscape behind (golf
course). Due to active wave erosion, the fore dune is scarped and the face is constantly
collapsing. Evidence of this is the large Pohutukawa trees at the ridge which have a significant
portion of their roots exposed. In 2005 the surf club tower needed to be shifted because of the
receding dunes. It had also been shifted on prior occasions for the same reason.
A high ridge of ancient pleistocene dunes behind the golf course was formed in a similar manner
when sea level was h_______ on this coast. Accounts of Early European settlement suggest that
dune processes were still active on these ancient dunes in the early 1800s.
The planting of Woodhill forest began in the 1930s to st_____________ these dunes and prevent
sand blowing into the settlement of H___________ and across State Highway 16.
Muriwai is a dis___________ beach, meaning that the gradient is low and the beach face is long.
This morphology is needed to dissipate the high energy waves that arrive along the West Coast.
Muriwai does not fit the dissipative beach model perfectly because the i______ rich sediment is
relatively heavy, so at times, the gradient of the beach can be similar to the steeper, lower energy
beaches on the East Coast such as O________ Beach.
The morphology of beaches will change throughout the year and may swing between a summer
profile with a berm and no/small offshore bar, and a winter profile with no b______ and an
offshore bar/s. Due to the high energy environment at Muriwai, it maintains a winter profile or
eroded (but stable) state. Approximately 90% of the beachs sediment is locked up in off shore
b_____s.
Active erosion of the beach face occurs through a number of mechanisms. At low tide, sediment in
the inter__________ zone may dry out and be swept further on shore by a___________ transport
mechanisms. In winter, wave periods are shorter and as a result, backwash meets swash before it
has time to deposit sediment landward. This sediment is therefore not swept up into the inter-tidal
drying zone and as a result is not transported further landward (to the dunes) by wind. During

storm events, per_____________ of the sand is low because the sand is saturated. This will lead
to a stronger (erosive) b_____________ than the (potentially constructive) s_________.
Erosion of sediment from the beach also occurs through l____________ drift. When waves hit the
coast at an angle, longshore currents and rip currents are set up. The longshore current which
operates along the West Coast from Taranaki to beyond Muriwai can be considered a conveyor
belt of sediment. When sediment supply is low from the Taranaki area and the outlet of the
W_________ River, beach construction is reduced. This is the case currently. A theory explaining
this lack of sediment supply and the resulting erosional period at Muriwai, is that sediment is
trapped in b___s, or delayed by the inhibiting effects of river and harbour mouths further south.
Once this sediment peels off the bars, it will travel northwards as a slug of sediment, beginning
another depositional period.
Rip currents are the rapid seawards return of water. These travel away from the coast, cutting
through offshore bars and scouring out gu_________ at their base. They form when longshore
currents meet and where transverse bars block the movement of longshore current. The high
energy flow of water seawards has the potential to remove sand from the surf zone, making it
unavailable for deposition on the beach.

Figure these out:

What is the difference between the operation of wave processes at the headland vs. wave
processes along the beach? (Think erosion (where?, how?), transportation (to where? why? how?)
and deposition), deposition (where? why?)
What is the difference between the operation of aeolian processes on the beach, at the dunes and
at the headland? (Think erosion (where?, how?), transportation (to where? why? how?) and
deposition), deposition (where? why?)