Coastal landscapes in the UK -Coastal management

Question 1

Hard engineering

Answer 1

involves building artificial structures which try to control natural processes. Each engineering strategy has its advantages and disadvantages

Question 2

Sea Walls

Hard engineering

Answer 2

Concrete walls that are placed at the foot of a cliff to prevent erosion. They are curved to reflect the energy back into the sea.

Advantages
Effective at protecting the base of the cliff.
Sea walls usually have promenades so people can walk along them.
Disadvantages
Waves are still powerful and can break down and erode the sea wall.
Expensive - approximately £2,000 per metre.

Hard engineering

Question 3

Rock armour

Hard engineering

Answer 3

Rock armour on a beach
Large boulders placed at the foot of a cliff. They break the waves and absorb their energy.

Advantages
Cheaper than a sea wall and easy to maintain.
Can be used for fishing.
Disadvantages
They look different to the local geology, as the rock has been imported from other areas.
The rocks are expensive to transport.

Hard engineering

Question 4

Gabions

Hard engineering

Answer 4

Gabions
Rocks are held in mesh cages and placed in areas affected by erosion.

Advantages
Cheap - approximately £100 per metre.
Absorbs wave energy.
Disadvantages
Not very strong.
Looks unnatural.

Hard engineering

Question 5

Groynes

Hard engineering

Answer 5

Wooden groynes on a beach in Sussex
Wooden or rock structures built out at right angles into the sea.

Advantages
Builds a beach - which encourages tourism.
They trap sediment being carried by longshore drift.
Disadvantages
By trapping sediment it starves beaches further down the coastline, increasing rates of erosion elsewhere.
They look unattractive.

Hard engineering

Question 6

Soft engineering

Answer 6

does not involve building artificial structures, but takes a more sustainable and natural approach to managing the coast. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages for use.

Question 7

Beach nourishment

Answer 7

Bulldozers moving sand during beach nourishment
Sand is pumped onto an existing beach to build it up.

Advantages
Blends in with the existing beach.
Larger beaches appeal to tourists.
Disadvantages
Needs to be constantly replaced.
The sand has to be brought in from elsewhere.

Question 8

Reprofiling

Answer 8

A bulldozer moves sand up the beach
The sediment is redistributed from the lower part of the beach to the upper part of the beach.

Advantages
Cheap and simple.
Reduces the energy of the waves.
Disadvantages
Only works when wave energy is low.
Needs to be repeated continuously.

Question 9

Dune nourishment

Answer 9

Marram grass planted on sand dunes stabilises the dunes and helps to trap sand to build them up.

Advantages
Relatively cheap.
Maintains a natural-looking coastline.
Disadvantages
Can be damaged by storm waves.
Areas have to be zoned off from the public, which is unpopular.

Question 10

Managed retreat

Answer 10

is the controlled flooding of low-lying coastal areas. If an area is at high risk of erosion, managed retreat could be an option. It usually occurs where the land is of low value, for example farm land.

Question 11

Managed retreat

Advantages and Disadvantages

Answer 11

Advantages
This is a cheap option compared to paying for sea defences.
Creates a salt marsh which can provide habitats for wildlife and a natural defence against erosion and flooding.
Salt marshes are diverse ecosystems supporting many species.
Disadvantages
Land is lost as it is reclaimed by the sea.
Landowners need to be compensated - this can cost between £5,000 - £10,000 per hectare.