Coast casestudy: Saltburn to Flamborough Head. Flashcards
High energy coastal environment
1
Q
What type of energy environment is Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
A high energy coastal environment
2
Q
Where is Saltburn to Flamborough head?
A
Yorkshire
3
Q
What is a high energy coastal environment?
A
A coastal environment characterized by powerful waves, strong winds and high tidal ranges that cause significant erosion and formations of landforms.
4
Q
How long is the coastline of Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
60km.
5
Q
What are the physical factors that influence the formation of landforms at Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- Geology
- Wave energy
- Tidal range and exposure
6
Q
What is the geological characteristics of Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- Saltburn to Flamborough Head is strongly influenced by it’s geology.
- Flamborough Head, at the Southern stretch of the coastline is chalk, which is more resistant to erosion compared to other rock types
- As a result of geological variations, there are varied coastal scenery (high cliffs and the bay and headland sequences).
7
Q
How did tectonic processes in the late cretaceous and early tertiary period influence Saltburn to Flamborough Head? (SYNOPTIC)
A
- Tectonic processes caused uplift of sedimentary rocks, leading to folding and faulting
- This exposed the rocks and affected resistance to geomorphic processes, accelerating these.
8
Q
What is the energy characteristics in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- SB-FBH has dominant waves from the North and North-East, with a fetch of over 1500km.
- The most exposed parts of the coast are North facing, such as Saltburn which receives the highest input of wave energy
9
Q
Why are the waves powerful at Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- The dominant waves attacking the coastline are from North and North East, which have a fetch of up to 1500km.
10
Q
What places in Saltburn to Flamborough Head receive the highest inputs of wave energy?
A
- The most exposed parts that are North facing (direction from which the dominant waves are from) such as the area nearest to Saltburn.
11
Q
What explains why rates of erosion vary in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- Due to differences in wave energy input
- Also due to variations in the resistance of different geologies.
12
Q
Name 2 differing geologies present in Saltburn to Flamborough Head
A
- Flamborough head: made of resistant chalk
- North York Moors: comprise sandstone, shales, limestones as well as carboniferous rocks (less resistant)
13
Q
What are the erosion rates of relatively weak shale and clay compared to more resistant sandstones and limestones (at Saltburn to Flamborough head) ?
A
- Relatively weak shale and clay: 0.8m/year.
- More resistant sandstones and limestones: <0.1m/year.
14
Q
What is the average wave height in Saltburn to Flamborough Head (relates to energy physical factor)
A
- Whitby Bay buoys revealed that wave height often exceeds 4m, even during summer months
- This suggests that even seasonally, it is maintained as a high energy environment
15
Q
How does the physical factor of energy affect longshore drift in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- High-energy inputs are responsible for significant longshore drift from North to South along the coastline.
- In places, this sediment movement is interrupted by headlands, and sand and shingle then accumulate to form beaches in the bays, such as Filey Bay.
16
Q
What are the sources of sediment at Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- Some sediment in sub-cell 1d has come from the nearshore area, driven onshore as sea levels rose at the end of the last glacial period.
- Other sources are cliff erosion, including sandstone and chalk from resistant rock outcrops and boulder clay deposits that yield gravel.
- Surprisingly, fluvial sources aren’t overly significant as the Esk (river) that enters the North Sea at Whitby can supply limited sediment. This is due to the construction of weirs and reinforced banks.
17
Q
What sediment cell is Saltburn to Flamborough Head part of?
A
- The major sediment cell 1, in which Saltburn to Flamborough Head is in sub-cell 1d.
18
Q
In what way can you argue that human activity is insignificant, or even significant in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- Fluvial sediment from the River Esk supplies relatively limited amounts of sediment due to construction of weirs and reinforced banks along the course.
- This is an example of relatively limited influence of human activity as a factor on this stretch of coastline
19
Q
Beach surveys found that there was a net increase of beach sediment of 9245m³ between 2008-2011 at Saltburn.
What does this reveal?
A
- At Filey Bay (Saltburn), there is zones of both beach erosion and accretion.
- This reflects/reveals the influence of winter storm systems, with erosion at the back of the beach being significant in 2010-11 winter.
20
Q
What does the inter-relationship of landforms in a coastal system refer to?
A
- Refers to how different landforms interact with each other due to physical processes such as erosion, deposition and weathering.
- In short, changes in one landform often influences the formation or modification of others.
21
Q
What 2 erosional processes may be present in Flamborough Head as a result of high wave energy?
A
- Abrasion
- Hydraulic action. (and maybe pounding)
22
Q
What role does tidal range play in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- SB-FBH has a high tidal range of 3-4m
- This leads to significant erosion of cliff bases during low tide and deposition during high tide.
- This tidal action causes the coastline to retreat overtime - and also helps in the development of beaches, spits and sandbars.
23
Q
Inter-relationship: How do cliffs and wave cut platforms interact at Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
A
- Cliffs, such as those at Flamborough are eroded by high energy waves, creating wave-cut notches at the base.
- This erosion progresses, leaving wave cut platforms at the base: this is seen in Robin Hood’s Bay, eroded into Lower Lias shale.
24
Q
Applied to Flamborough Head, how do caves, arches, stacks and stumps relate to each other in the landscape system?
A
- Caves form through erosion of chalk (most likely abrasion and hydraulic action or pounding), particularly in areas like Selwick’s Bay.
- Over time, the cave extends through to the other side, forming arches.
- As erosional processes continue, arches collapse and leave behind stacks. such as Staple Newk stack at Flamborough Head.
- The collapse of arches contributes to the formation of new coastal landforms.
25
How does the erosion at Flamborough Head cliffs affect the wider coastal landscape?
- Erosion of *chalk cliffs* at Flamborough head leads to features such as caves, arches, stacks and stumps - contributing to the overall landscape system.
- Sediment from this cliff erosion is transported and may contribute to the development of beaches further along the coastline.
- The ongoing erosion alters the coastlines shape, and positioning of landforms through providing sediment input.
26
How can landscape change occur in seconds along the Saltburn to Flamborough Head coastline?
- Acute landscape change can be seen in mass movement / collapse of cliffs.
- This could be seen in a 10m section of cliff collapsing near **Whitby** due to heavy rain increasing cliff saturation.
- This cliff collapse is attributed to marine and sub-aerial processes.
27
How do seasonal changes affect the beach profile along the Saltburn to Flamborough Head coastline?
- In the winter, the coastline receives high energy destructive waves.
These erode beach material, creating a *steep, narrow beach**. This, for example can be seen in **Scarborough Bay** that experiences significant sediment loss in Winter
- In the Summer, the coastline witnesses low energy constructive waves.
These waves build up sediment, forming a wide and gently sloping beach.
An example is **Saltburn beach** expanding during Summer due to greater deposition.
28
What features does Flamborough Head exhibit due to erosion?
- *Wave cut platforms*, such as in **Selwicks bay**.
- *Caves and arches*, such as **Flamborough Head caves** due to wave action exploiting weaknesses in chalk.
- *Stacks*, such as in **Green Stacks Pinnacle** near Flamborough
29
What processes cause rapid cliff retreat at Saltburn?
- Marine erosion: hydraulic action and abrasion attacking the base of cliffs.
- Sub-aerial processes such as..
Freeze thaw weathering weakening rocks in winter (seasonal).
Heavy rainfall, leading to slumping particularly in softer cliffs.
30
What is the long-term impact of coastal erosion along the Flamborough Head to Saltburn coastline?
- Over time, continued erosion will erode Flamborough Head's chalk headland into smaller stacks and stumps (1000s years).
- Bay's like **Robin Hoods Bay** will widen as softer rock is eroded faster than headlands.
31
Outline how warming temperatures can affect Saltburn to Flamborough Head in the future
- Rapid cliff retreat may be accelerated by storm events. For example *Saltburn's Jurassic cliffs* erode at **0.1-0.2m per year**, but can be higher after storm events - made more frequent by climate change.
32
How does the Flamborough Head cliffs differ from the cliffs between *Robin Hoods bay and Saltburn*.
- Cliffs at Flamborough are made of chalk, which is physically very strong with tightly bonded material particles.
- These *vertical* cliffs at Flamborough are typically 20-30m high, with the overlying till lowered by mass movement at an angle of 40.
- Further North, between Robin Hood's Bay and Saltburn, the cliffs are much higher, but have a stepped profile - reflecting how this area has *more varied geology*.
The steeper slope segments are formed in the more resistant sandstones and limestones, with gentler slopes corresponding with weaker clays and shales.
33
Outline shore platforms at Saltburn to Flamborough Head
- High-energy waves and active erosion means that cliffs retreating leave behind rocky shore platforms.
- An example is seen at **Robin Hoods bay** that has eroded into *Lower Lias shales*.
- This platform has a maximum width of about 500m, but extends further offshore.
34
With location specifics, how are headlands and bays formed in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
- Due to variations in rock type
- The planform of Saltburn to Flamborough Head is discordant.
- *Robin Hoods Bay* has eroded into relatively weak shales, with resistant bands of sandstone either side forming headlands of *Ravenscar* and *Ness Point*.
- Further south, *Filey Bay* has developed in weak clay and is flanked by more resistant limestone and chalk.
- The prominent Flamborough Head is formed from chalk, whereas it's deep bay's formed either side are clay.
35
What is an example of erosion in Selwick's bay at Flamborough Head?
- Resistant headlands, such as Flamborough Head receives wave refraction and concentration that exposes large joints or faults.
- Enlarging of joints and faults by erosive action are visible in Selwick's bay to Flamborough Head, where a master joint has been enlarged.
36
There are few well-developed beaches on the Saltburn to Flamborough Head coastline, true or false?
- True.
37
Why are there few well-developed beaches on the Saltburn to Flamborough Head coast?
- Deposits of sand and shingle accumulate slowly, owing to *low input of sediment from rivers* and slow rates of erosion from resistant rock.
- High energy waves also remove sediment before it can accumulate.
38
Where, although it is rare, has a beach formed in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
- In sheltered, more lower energy areas such as Scarborough and Filey bay.
- Otherwise, accumulation is slow and high energy wave removal exceeds accumulation.
39
Why is longshore drift, although considerable, not important in development of landforms in Saltburn to Flamborough Head?
- Although longshore drift is considerable, the coastline lacks spits and other drift-aligned features.
- This is due partly to *high tidal ranges of around 4m* and *lack of estuarine environments that would provide sediment sinks*.
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