Case studies coasts

Question 1

Kiribati sea level change

Answer 1

Country consists of very low lying sand and Mangrove atolls

Predicted that some islands may disappear in 50 years - 1.2cm a year sea level rise per annum

In 2014, the country bought 20km2 of land on a Fijian island - 2000km from Kiribati

Happening because of global warming - thermal expansion

Question 2

Holderness facts

Answer 2

fastest eroding coastline in Europe

On avg loses 2m per year

Main reasons for erosion is geology, fetch, longshore drift and beach material

Most of consists of boulder clay - structurally weak and not resistant to erosion

fetch is 500-800 km across the North Sea - not far but the waves attacking the holderness are influenced by:

• Strong currents from Atlantic - creates strong destructive waves
• Low pressure weather systems and strong winter storms produce locally strong winds and waves
• North sea is enclosed, so they often generate huge waves during storms which can not be dispersed
• Sea floor is relatively deep along the Holderness, so waves reach cliffs without being weakened by friction from shallow beaches

Longshore drift is a major problem, with the weak boulder clay being eroded to to clay particles which are easily transported out to sea