Coasts- Case Studies

Question 1

Coastal erosion case study

Answer 1

Holderness

Question 2

Coastal flooding case study

Answer 2

Tsunami that struck Southern Asia.

Question 3

Hard engineering case study

Answer 3

Holderness

Question 4

Soft engineering case study

Answer 4

Abbots Hall Farm, Essex

Question 5

What happened at Abbots hall farm?

Answer 5

Sea wall was breached to allow salt water back onto land encouraging the growth of a salt marsh.
Done before spring tide so seeds can float in.
81 ha.

Question 6

Positive changes for Abbots Hall farm managed realignment

Answer 6

• flourishing salt marsh
• pressure on sea walls elsewhere reduced
• £500,000 saved in sea defences
• new habitat

Question 7

Drawback for what happened at Abbots Hall Farm

Answer 7

• land lost
• farmlands and settlements destroyed (compensation)
• interrupt communications

Question 8

Causes of tsunami

Answer 8

Earthquake
9.0 on Richter scale
Occurred in Indian Ocean
Affected Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India

Question 9

Social impacts of tsunami

Answer 9

230,000 killed or missing
1.7 million people made homeless
Water polluted
400,000 people lost their jobs in Sri Lanka

Question 10

Economic impacts of tsunami

Answer 10

Between $8b and $15b damage
Fishing industry destroyed
Crop production reduced due to high contents of salt
Tourism reduced by 80% in Phuket

Question 11

Environmental impacts of the tsunami

Answer 11

8 million litres of oil leaked as 2 plants destroyed
Mangrove forests damaged due to salt
Floodwater destroyed many ecosystems

Question 12

Rock type of holderness?

Answer 12

Easily eroded till.
Eroded by abrasion.
Prone to slumping when wet.

Question 13

Why are beaches along Holderness narrow?

Answer 13

Flamborough head stops sediment from north replenishing beach
Coastal defence at Mappleton

Question 14

Why are the waves powerful at holderness?

Answer 14

Long fetch from Arctic Ocean

Coast faces dominant wind and wave direction

Question 15

What has happened to housing price at holderness?

Answer 15

It has fallen due to risk of erosion

Question 16

How many villages lost in holderness?

Answer 16

30 since Roman times

Question 17

What caravan park is at risk from erosion in holderness?

Answer 17

Seaside caravan park at Ulrome

Losing 10 pitches a year

Question 18

How much was spent at Mappleton to protect the coast?

Answer 18

£2 million in 1991

Question 19

What important British Gas supplier is at risk?

Answer 19

A gas terminal in Easington 25 m from cliff

25% of British’s gas supply

Question 20

How much farmland is lost annually at Holderness?

Answer 20

80,000 m2

Question 21

What SSSIs are at risk at Holderness?

Answer 21

The lagoons near Easington

Question 22

What hard engineering strategies have been put in place in holderness?

Answer 22

Bridlington- 4.7km sea wall & groynes
Mappleton-two Rock groynes 
Withernsea- groynes, sea wall, rip rap
Hornsea- sea wall, groynes, rip rap
Gas terminal Easington- revetment
Spurn head- groynes, rip rap

Question 23

Problems with groynes at holderness?

Answer 23

Cowden Farm at risk of falling in sea due to starved beach from groynes in Mappleton. Protection of local areas leads to bays formed putting pressure on headlands and maintenance cost sea defences increase