Coastal Management Strategies Flashcards
What are sea walls
Commonly a concrete structure placed at the top of a beach or foot of a cliff to act as a physical barrier to the sea, preventing erosion or flooding
What is a concrete structure placed at the top of a beach or foot of a cliff to act as a physical barrier to the sea, preventing erosion or flooding
A sea wall
How much do sea walls cost
Up to £1 million per 100m
What are the advantages of sea walls
Effective and often has a walkway or promenade for people to walk along
What are the disadvantages of sea walls
Can look obstrusive and unnatural, very expensive and high maintenance costs.
What are groynes
Timber or rock structures protruding into the sea at right angle to the coast
What are timber or rock structures protruding into the sea at right angle to the coast
Groynes
What are the 4 hard engineering starategies
Sea wally, groynes, rock armour and gabions
What are Sea wally, groynes, rock armour and gabions
Hard engineering stratagies
How much do groynes cost
£150,000 each at 200m intervals
What are the advantages of groynes
Create wider beach, which can be popular with tourists, provide useful structures for people interested in fishing and not too expensive
What are the disadvantages of groynes
They starve beaches further along the coast, often leading to increased rates of erosion elsewhere, groynes are unnatural
What is rock armour
Large, extremely tough boulders placed at the foot of a cliff or against a sea wall, forcing waves to break early, reducing their energy and protecting the coast from their full force
What are large, extremely tough boulders placed at the foot of a cliff or against a sea wall, forcing waves to break early, reducing their energy and protecting the coast from their full force
Rock armour
How much does rock armour cost
£200,000 per 100m
What are the advantages of rock armour
Relatively cheap and easy to maintain, can provide interest to the coast and often used for fishing
What are the disadvantages of rock armour
Expensive to transport and do not fit with the local geology
What are gabions
Wire cages filled with rocks commonly built up against a cliff to add support and reduce erosion
What are wire cages filled with rocks commonly built up against a cliff to add support and reduce erosion
Gabions
How much do gabions cost
£50,000 per 100m
What are the advantages of gabions
Cheap to produce and improve drainage of cliffs
What are the disadvantages of gabions
Unattractive and only last 5-10 years before they rust
What are the 3 soft engineering stratagies
Beach nourishment/reprofiling, dune regeneration and dune fencing
What is beach nourishment/reprofiling
The addition of sand or pebbles to a beach to increase its height and/or width
What is the addition of sand or pebbles to a beach to increase its height and/or width
Beach nourishment/reprofiling
How much does beach nourishment/reprofiling cost
£500,000 per 100m
What are the advantages of beach nourishment/reprofiling
Cheap and easy to maintain, blends in with existing beach, increases tourism potential
What are the disadvantages of beach nourishment/reprofiling
Needs constant maintenance unless structures are built to retain the beach
What is dune regeneration
Plants such as marram grass can be sown to stabilise sand dunes and encourage them to develop, acting as a natural buffer to the sea
What is it called when plants such as marram grass are sown to stabilise sand dunes and encourage them to develop, acting as a natural buffer to the sea
Dune regeneration
How much does dune regeneration cost
Approximately £2,000 per 100m
What are the advantages of dune regeneration
Maintains a natural coastal environment that is popular with people and wildlife, relatively cheap
What are the disadvantages of dune regeneration
Time-consuming to plant the marram grass and fence areas off, can be damaged by storms.
What is dune fencing
Fences used to protect dunes from human use, to prevent erosion from trampling and other activities
What are fences used to protect dunes from human use, to prevent erosion from trampling and other activities
Dune fencing
How much does dune fencing cost
£2,000 per 100m
What are the advantages of dune fencing
Minimal impact on natural systems, can control public access to protect other ecosystems
What are the disadvantages of dune fencing
Can be unsightly especially if fences become broken, regular maintenance needed specially after storms
What is an example of managed retreat
Coastal realignment and monitoring
What is coastal realignment and monitoring an example of
Managed retreat
What is managed retreat
Deliberately allowing the sea to erode or flood an area in a controlled way
What is deliberately allowing the sea to erode or flood an area in a controlled way
Managed retreat
How much does managed retreat
Depends on land value, between £5,000 and £10,000
What are the advantages of managed retreat
Cost-effective so hard and soft management strategies are targeted at more expensive land
What are the disadvantages of managed retreat
Loss of natural habitats
