Coasts

Question 1

Sea level rise per year?

Answer 1

3mm/yr

Question 2

Emergent Features

Answer 2

Raised beaches
Relict/Fossil caves, arches, stacks and stumps

Question 3

Submergent Features

Answer 3

Fjords - flooded glacial valley, U shaped valleys, steep valley sides and deep water

Rias - flooded river valley, shallow cross section, gentle sloping sides

Dalmatian Coasts - mountains concordant to the coast are flooded/submerged leaving a chain of thin islands parallel/concordant to the coast

Question 4

Key Factors in Kiribati - FLOODING

Answer 4

sea levels rising at a rate of 1.2cm/yr
2m above sea level
Kiribati has bought land in Fiji and agreed with neighbouring countries to allow the migration of its population

Question 5

Key Factors in Jakarta - FLOODING

Answer 5

Coast is dropping by approx. 25cm/yr
Due to overabstraction from underground aquifers - leads to subsidence
Vulnerable to storm surges

Question 6

Key Factors in New York - FLOODING

Answer 6

Threat due to sea level rise
Plan to build out on to the river and protect the city
Large danger to the economy
Lower Manhattan at large threat - 75% of subways go through lower Manhattan - get flooded

Question 7

Key Factors in Holderness Coast - RECESSION

Answer 7

LSD occurs from N to S as there is a large fetch from the north
Deep water near the coast so higher wave energy so more erosion
Lots of the coastline made from weak, crumbly, unconsolidated material - lots of rotational slumping
Temperate climate so more moisture in the soil - easier slumping
Defences at Mappleton cause erosion further south due to being starved of sediment

Question 8

Key Factors in Mappleton - RECESSION

Answer 8

High rates of coastal recession
Solved by groyne on the beach protecting Mappleton
However, has caused increased erosion south of Mappleton as less sediment reaches the beach leading to faster recession

Question 9

Key Factors in the Nile Delta - RECESSION

Answer 9

Aswan Dam built on the Nile
Increase in erosion by 10 TIMES in some areas as sediment volume fell from 130million tonnes to 15 million tonnes
95% of Egypt’s population live on the Nile delta
Subsiding and vulnerable to salt water encroachment

Question 10

Key factors in Bangladesh - FLOODING

Answer 10

46% of population live under 10m above sea level
Extensive removal of mangroves - reduction in their role of stabilising the coastline and buffering the coast from cyclones and coastal flooding, less dissipation of wave energy + water gets further in land
Bangladesh shaped like a funnel so storm surge risk increases
Construction of polders as protection of farmland to flooding lead to increased subsidence as land was deprived of sediment.
In addition, ended up funneling floodwater further inland

Question 11

North Sea Storm Surges - FLOODING

Answer 11

UK and Netherlands at risk from the north sea because the sea gets narrower so acts as a funnel as well as increasing high tides and storm surges, strong northerly winds pushed the storm even further south

1953 - Approx. 2400 dead, sea levels rose by 5.6m, 20000 homes flooded, 65000 hectares of farmland flooded, no flood warning systems, communications were limited and weather forecasts were basic

2013 - largest surge since 1953, 6.3m high sea level, no deaths, 1400 properties flooded, 18000 evacuated major impacts were reduced due to Thames barrier, better forecasting and better sea defences

Question 12

Key Factors in Hurricane Sandy

Answer 12

Caused more than $62 billion in damage
Human induced climate change led to rise in sea level by over 10cm in the 100 years before the hurricane - lead to 36000 more homes flooded and water reached 71000 more people
Hurricane blocked by high pressure system forcing it up to New York as well as interacting with a mid-latitude weather system that re-intesified the storm.

Question 13

Key Factors in Cyclone Sidr 2007

Answer 13

Storm Surge of 6m
15000 dead
Crops destroyed on 600,000 ha of agricultural land
$1.7 billion in damage
High winds damaged housing, roads, bridges etc

Question 14

Key factors in Fairbourne

Answer 14

No active intervention SMP policy
Relocate everyone by 2054
Uncertainties about danger causes social problems as residents are scared of the consequences of coastal recession

Question 15

Key factors in Happisburgh, North Norfolk

Answer 15

No active intervention SMP policy
Against wishes of residents
House values are very low - residents unable to relocate away from danger
Campaigning by the Coastal Concern Action Group raised awareness nationally gaining a £3 million grant - spent on residents at most risk for relocating
Beach rode houses were demolished to act as a buffer between village and the cliffs
New houses made on farmland - loss of farmland - causes winners and losers

Question 16

Key factors in Bacton, North Norfolk

Answer 16

Sand scaping, beach nourishment
Issues here caused by sea defences further up the coast
Cost £19 million
Done to protect community and a large gas terminal
HOWEVER, sand washed away after one month

Question 17

Key factors in Borth, Wales

Answer 17

Chosen over Fairbourne
Hold the line SMP approach
Groynes, breastworks, breakwater, offshore reef
Protects community from flooding as well as the nature reserve behind it
HOWEVER, unsustainable, unattractive, expensive, some parts needed reshaping after major storms

Question 18

Key factors in Rossall, Blackpool

Answer 18

Hold the line SMP approach
Sea wall, rock armour and groynes
£63 million cost (£150 million for whole of Blackpool)
Protects 7500 homes
Groynes rebuild the beach
HOWEVER, 100 year lifespan of sea wall so questions about sustainability, visual pollution, reduced tourism, infestation of litter and rats

Question 19

Key factors in Steat Marshes, Bridgewater

Answer 19

Advancing the line SMP approach
As a result of rising sea levels, encouraging salt marsh succession to protect the community - absorb carbon so help reduce climate change
Cost £20 million
Better than paying for expensive sea defences
HOWEVER, lots of farm land is lost and flooded so farmers have to be compensated
Winners and losers created

Question 20

Key factors in Blackwater estuary, Essex

Answer 20

Old hard engineering approaches didn’t work and were unsustainable
Suffered from coastal squeeze due to hard engineering approach
Sea walls were in need for repair so the adopted a different strategy
Managed Realignment SMP approach
Created five breaches in the sea wall allowing for the succession on new salt marshes inland
Purchased farmland for where the saltmarshes would form
Positives: Farm was sold for full price so owner was a winner, very high costs of hold the line were avoided, new paths produces for leisure

Question 21

Key factors in Odisha, India

Answer 21

Pioneering ICZM
Protecting sea turtles
Planting mangroves
Training communities to plant and maintain mangrove nurseries
Produced small scale tourism
Improved the livelihood of resource dependent communities
HOWEVER, expensive approach

Question 22

Key factors in Thames Barrier

Answer 22

Built to protect London from tidal and storm surge flooding
Recent analysis has predicted a working life of the barrier until 2060-2070 - problems with sustainability