Case studies - physical Flashcards
Where is the Holderness coastline located?
In the Eastern side of England
What types of landforms occur on the holderness coastline?
Flamborough head, a headland and Spurn head, a spit formed from deposition at the estuary of River Humber
What is the beach on the Holderness coastline called?
Bridlington bay
What type of rocks does the Holderness Coastline consist of?
Boulder clay and chalk, Flamborough head consisting of chalk.
What sediment cell is the Holderness Coastline apart of?
Sediment cell 2 - forms a sub-cell within this sediment cell
How does the weather affect the Holderness coastline?
Winter storms will produce stronger waves and higher sea levels (surge), the rain they bring intensifies sub-aerial processes. The saturated clay cliffs suffer increased runoff -> mass movement
How do waves affect the holderness coastline?
The dominant waves are from the north east, in the direction of the longest fetch. Destructive waves erode the beach and attack the foot of the cliffs, removing clay. LSD carries this southwards, the lower energy environment of the river estuary allows sediment to collect (forms a spit)
How does the geology impact the Holderness Coastline?
Chalk -> more resistant and has survived large-scale erosion
Boulder clay cliffs -> erode more easily and their retreat has formed a bay (Bridlington bay).
There is differential rate of erosion on the coastline
What are the three distinctive features that stand out along the coastline?
- Chalk headland and cliffs (Flamborough)
- Retreating clay cliffs of the Holderness Bay
- 6km spit at Spurn point
What has the Humber Estuary helped with?
It has helped wind,tides and river processes to develop ecosystems of dunes, mudflats and salt marsh
Flamborough head
The sea is actively eroding and undercutting the base of the cliff, leading to frequent rock falls.
As the cliff retreats, wave cut platforms and sea stacks are formed
What happens to the waves when they approach Flamborough head?
When they approach the coastline, they are bent or refracted by the shape of the coastline. The waves are therefore curved and have low energy in the bays, resulting in deposition -> beach.
Geology of flamborough head
Made of chalk, there are some vertical cracks which run through the chalk (joints).
These joints and faults are weaknesses in the chalk, which are readily exploited by the process of weathering and erosion to form narrow clefts
What are the main factors that lead to the rapid rate of erosion?
Long fetch and powerful waves for NE
Weak and unconsolidated cliffs
Lack of coastal defences
Extensive mass movement, especially slumping
Narrow beach - cliffs are vulnerable to wave attack and undercutting
What human factors play a part along this coast?
Presence of people: turns physical processes into hazards and threatens life and property.
Interfering with natural processes such as LSD
Global warming: an indirect human impact, creating a rise in sea levels and increasing storminess
