Las Cuevas Bay

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT
Title of Study: The study of the landforms in

Las Cuevas Bay
Location: Trinidad and Tobago
Subject: Geography
Name of Candidate: Ayesha Barclay
Candidate Number:
School: Bishop Anstey High School East
School Code:
Teacher: Ms. Candice Jagan-Spicer
Year: 2023
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................3
Aim.......................................................................................................4
Map 1....................................................................................................5
Map 2....................................................................................................6
Methodology.........................................................................................7
Data Presentation/Analysis and Discussion.........................................8
Conclusion..........................................................................................16
Bibliography.......................................................................................17
Introduction
Las Cuevas bay is located on the North Coast of Trinidad. It is about a
35-minute drive from the Capital of Trinidad, Port of Spain. “Las
Cuevas” is a Spanish name which simply translates to “The Caves” in
English. It got its name because there are many caves on this beach.
The various land formations caused by wave action like caves, cliffs,
bays and much more, makes Las Cuevas a great area of study.
Aim
The aim of the field study is to comprehend the differences between
coastal, erosional and depositional landforms, as well as make use of
the data collected on wave activity. This data would be used to
account for their formation at Las Cuevas bay, Trinidad.
Map 1
Map 2
Methodology
Friday, 16th September 2022 two form-five Geography classes left
the Secondary School, Bishop Anstey High School East, and headed
to Las Cuevas Bay. We left at approximately 9:00a.m and arrived at
9:40a.m. Las Cuevas Bay is located on the North Coast of Trinidad. It
is about a 40-minute drive AND _KM from The Capital City, Port-of-
Spain. Upon arrival, the two classes were greeted with filed officers
from The Institute of Marine Affairs, (IRA). They were assisting by
supplying instruments needed to carry out the research. These
instruments were: a tripod, a compass, an anemometer, a survey staff
and measuring tape. The trip commenced at 1:00PM.
How the data was collected:
 WIND SPEED- This was measured by using the anemometer in

the direction of the wind and getting its reading. It was held in
the air to measure the speed of the wind.
 WAVE DIRECTION- A piece of paper was thrown in the air and
the compass was pointed it to North and recorded the direction it
was blown
 WAVE FREQUENCYY- This was determined by counting how
much waves were coming in a minute.
 DIRECTION OF LONGSHORE DRIFT- This was established by
throwing a coconut shell in the water beyond the breakers.
After one minute the direction of its movement was recorded,
using a compass
 BEACH PROFILE –This was measured by using a survey staff,
tripod stand and a measuring tape. An area on the beach was
chosen, which followed by the area being divided into segments
while the survey staff was put near the shore. By looking
through the tripod stand, the observer measured the vertical
distance from their eye level to the ground. To end, the
measuring tape measured the base of the base of the survey
staff.
Data Presentation/Analysis and Discussion
Type of coastal feature Coastal Features

Depositional Beach
Erosional Bay
Erosional Cliff
Erosional Headland
Erosional Cave, Stack, Arch
Features found along the Coast:
Headlands and Bay:
Western Headland Eastern Headland

Las cuevas Point Bay Abercromby Point
Plate 1: Headlands and Bay

How are these formed?
HEADLANDS: Headlands are hard rock outcrops, sticking out into
the sea and bays are indents in the coastline. These features are
formed when there are alternate bands of hard rock like chalk and soft
rock like clay when exposed to wave attach. These rocks were
ambushed by waves which have smaller rocks (pebbles) which over
time degrade or are gradually undercut.
BAYS: Bays are created when there is less resistance of eroding soft
rocks like sands and clays forming a group of stronger rocks like
granite, chalk, limestone into a headland. They are surrounded by a
land.
Eastern Headland
CLIF
CAVE
W
A
Plate 2: Eastern Headland
Wave refraction – Waves creep along in the shallow water proceeding

towards a headland so the wave becomes high, steep and short. The
part of the wave which is in deeper water moves forward quicker
which causes the wave to curve or bend. The waves focus their energy
mainly on all three sides of the headland which causes gradual
erosion.
Caves – The processes of compression and hydraulic action lead to

the creation of caves. Hydraulic Action is the sheer force of water
crashing against the coastline causing material to be dislodged and
carried away by the sea. Caves are formed when waves erode the
faults and fractures near the edge of the water. As erosion continues,
the cave becomes open at both ends to form a natural bridge or arch.
When the arch roof collapses, it leaves behind a sea stack, which is
not connected to the mainland above anymore. Cracks in rock at the
base of cliffs are eroded and expanded by the sea.
Cliff and Wave Cut Platform – Cliffs are often formed due to

processes called erosion and weathering. Weathering happens when
natural events, like wind or rain, break up pieces of rock .The bigger
and harder pieces of rocks are left as cliffs. Erosion is the process of
transportation of this sediment. A wave-cut platform forms when a
sea cliff is eroded by marine action, meaning waves, resulting in the
deposition of cliff material and formation of a bedrock area where
erosion occurred.
Western Headland
HEADLAND
CLIFF
FFFFF
Plate 3: Western Headland
WAVE REFRACTION – This western headland in plate 3 which is

also known as Las Cuevas Point was created because of wave
refraction. Wave refraction is when wave energy is dispersed in the
bays. Headland cliffs are cut back by wave erosion and the bays are
filled with sand deposits until the coastline becomes straight.
Longshore Drift
Western Headland
Direction of NE
Trade winds
Figure 1: The direction of longshore drift
Activity Of Longshore Drift Symbol

Direction of longshore drift
Swash
Backwash
LONGSHORE DRIFT – This occurs when consistent wind direction
causes the waves to go towards the shore at an angle. The swash of
the waves folds diagonally up the beach at an acute (45°) angle. The
backwash then goes back into the sea at a right angle. The name for
this movement of matter is known as transportation. Continuous
swash and backwash transport material at an angle along the coast
moving in a westerly direction. This movement of material is called
coastal drift and occurs in a zigzag pattern.
Beach Table
DISTANCE (M) STAFF READING (M)

0 9.6
1 9.5
2 9.4
4 8.4
6 8.1
6.8 7.9
7.5 7.7
8.6 7.6
10 7.4
12 7.2
14 6.9
16 6.6
Figure 2: Beach Profile Table
STAFF READING (M)

12
10
STAFF READING (M)
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
DISTANCE (M)
Figure 3: Beach Profile graph
This specified the waves were constructive. The swash was more
powerful than the backwash, consequently building the wide, gently
sloping beach as demonstrated in the beach profile. A beach profile is
a cross-sectional trace of the opposite of the high-tide shoreline and
extends from the backshore cliff. The wave frequency was 5 waves
per minute.
Conclusion
At Las Cuevas Bay, Trinidad, a lot of landforms were spotted. Mainly
there were four erosional and two depositional coastal features like
headlands and bays, cliffs and caves, and arches and stacks. Erosional
processes like abrasion and hydraulic-action took place on the
coastline of Las Cuevas bay. Erosion caused the headlands and bay
cliffs and caves and arches and stacks. The depositional features
observed were the beach and the raised beach. These processes were
the cause of the formation of these landforms.
Bibliography
https://www.internetgeography.net/topics/what-is-longshore-drift/
THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT FOR CSEC GEOGRAPHY

BY “Mark Wilson”
https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/mendips/caveskarst/
caveform.htm#:~:text=Caves%20are%20formed%20by
%20the,enlarged%20enough%20to%20form%20caves.
https://batce1-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/
201811111195_batce_edu_tt/
EbXOkDxM11dAo_MkhPNLeOQBPa83PCYkTG8B6vGEKQ-Oxw

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SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

Title of Study: The study of the landforms in

Data Presentation/Analysis and Discussion.........................................8

 WIND SPEED- This was measured by using the anemometer in

Type of coastal feature Coastal Features

Western Headland Eastern Headland

Plate 1: Headlands and Bay

Wave refraction – Waves creep along in the shallow water proceeding

Caves – The processes of compression and hydraulic action lead to

Cliff and Wave Cut Platform – Cliffs are often formed due to

Plate 3: Western Headland

WAVE REFRACTION – This western headland in plate 3 which is

Figure 1: The direction of longshore drift

Activity Of Longshore Drift Symbol

DISTANCE (M) STAFF READING (M)

STAFF READING (M)

Figure 3: Beach Profile graph

THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT FOR CSEC GEOGRAPHY

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