Coastal Change And Conflict

Question 1

Name a hard and soft rock coastal area

Answer 1

Flamborough head - hard rock

Holderness coast - soft rock

Question 2

Name a concordant and discordant coastal area

Answer 2

Swanage Bay - discordant

Lulworth Cove - concordant

Question 3

Give an example of a coastline experiencing rapid coastal retreat, and the threats this poses to the area

Answer 3

Holderness coast

Physical processes:

• coast is 60km long
• cliffs are 20m high
• cliffs are made of soft boulder clay
• dominant waves from the northeast across the North Sea
• fastest erosion when spring tides combine with storms
• erosion of 2m per year
• narrow beaches (sediment is carried out to sea)
• high rainfall and winter frosts -> fast rate of weathering and mass movement

Threats:

• good quality farmland is lost
• many villages have disappeared since Roman times
• important roads along the coast are at risk as well as several towns

Question 4

Investigate the costs and benefits of traditional hard engineering structures at a named location

Answer 4

Hornsea

Sea wall - protects cliffs (£6000-10,000 per m)
A - very strong and long lasting
A - land and buildings protected
D - can look ugly
D - restrict access to beach
D - large waves can undermine them

Wooden groynes - prevent longshore drift, build up beach (£5000 per m)
A - large beach created
A - beach dissipates wave energy
D - need to be maintained
D - may only last 10 years
D - stops longshore drift -> more erosion further down coast
D - restricts access along beach

Rock armour - dissipates wave energy (£500 per m)
A - absorb wave energy
A - looks natural
A - can be colonised by plants and animals
D - can look ugly

Question 5

Consider the costs and benefits of soft engineering at a named location

Answer 5

Cliff regrading - reduces the angle of the cliff which reduces mass movement
A - prevents rapid retreat by slumping and rockfall
A - makes beaches and shorelines safer
D - expensive
D - technically difficult
D - requires other management techniques to prevent erosion at the cliff base

Beach replenishment - pumping sand onto the beach
A - larger beach -> dissipates wave energy
A - looks natural
A - good for tourism
D - costs vary (depending on how far sand is transported)
D - needs to be repeated every few years

Question 6

Consider the costs and benefits of more radical approaches linked to ICZM

Answer 6

ICZM - Integrated Coastal Zone Management

SMPs - Shoreline Management Plans
•Advance the line:
-reclaim land
A - protects the coast line for longer
D - expensive

•Hold the line:
-uses hard and soft engineering
A - usually wanted by locals
A - protects industry, businesses, housing etc
D - expensive

•Strategic retreat:
-allowing some erosion but defending when necessary
A - less expensive
A - protects important places
D - creates winners and losers within the community

•Do nothing:
A - cheapest
D - disliked by locals