Coastal Management Flashcards
What is hard engineering
The use of man-made structures to control the coast.
What are sea walls and their advantages and disadvantages
- concrete walls placed at foot of cliff which reflects energy back into the sea
Advantage:
-Effective at protecting base of cliff
-has promenades for people to walk along
Disadvantage:
-sea wall can break down
- expensive- approximately £2000 per metre
What is and give advantages and disadvantages of rock armour
Large boulders placed at the foot of a cliff. They break the waves and absorb their energy.
Advantage
-cheaper than a sea wall and easy to maintain
Can be used for fishing
Disadvantage
They look different to the local geology
The rocks are expensive to transport
What is and give advantages and disadvantages to gabions
Rocks are held in mesh cages and placed in areas affected by erosion
Advantages
Cheap - approximately £100 per metre
Absorbs wave energy
Disadvantage
Not very strong
Looks unnatural
What are and give advantages and disadvantages to groynes
Wooden or rock structures built out at right angles into the sea
Advantages
Build a beach - which encourages tourism
They trap sediment being carried by longshore drift
Disadvantages
By trapping sediment its staff speeches further down the coastline, increasing rates of erosion elsewhere
They look unattractive
What is soft engineering?
The use of natural, sustainable solutions to control the coast
What is and give advantages and disadvantages of beach nourishment
Sand is pumped onto an existing beach to build it up
Advantage
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
What is and give advantages and disadvantages of reprofiling
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
What is and give advantages and disadvantages of dune nourishment
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
What is and give advantages and disadvantages of managed retreat
The controlled flooding of low lying coastal areas if an area is at high risk of erosion
Advantages
A cheap option compared to paying for sea defences
Creates a salt marsh which contains diverse ecosystems, which supports many species
Disadvantages
Land is lost
Landowners need to be compensated
What and where is the coastal management case study
Holderness coastline
Located on the east coast of England
What are the reasons for coastal management at the Holderness coast?
Rock type- cliffs are made from less resistant boulder clay
Naturally narrow beaches- less protection
Powerful waves
What actions are they taking at the Holderness coast?
Bridlington is protected by a 4.7 km long sea wall
Mappleton is protected by rock groynes
Spurn head is protected with groynes and rock armour
