Coasts-Case Studies

Question 1

Why is the Thames estuary at risk

Answer 1

1. It will be obsolete by 2030 due to eustatic and isostatic change (as the South of England is sinking). If it floods a huge area of London will be flooded. The new barrier will cost £30 billion, but will protect £200 billion of assets (e.g. Houses of Parliament)

Question 2

Why is Bangladesh at risk

Answer 2

Not high above sea level, 25% of the country is lower than 1m above sea level. This is a worry due to eustatic change increasing.

Question 3

Why is New Orleans at risk

Answer 3

It’s built on a marsh so is prone to lots of flooding, some of the barriers needed repairs, only some of them were repaired like a surge wall which kept the marsh from rising and cost $2 million

Question 4

What are the risks/challenges in the Maldives (3)

Answer 4

1. Islands less than 2 metres above sea level- sea levels expected to rise 1.5 metres by the end of the century- 95% of all tourist infrastructure lies within 100m of coastline and tourists account for 28%GDP
2. Tsunami risk country
3. Locals used to remove coral surrounding the islands for building houses, this was a natural sea defence

Question 5

What are the opportunities in the Maldives (3)

Answer 5

1. Ecotourism so more money is generated going to the government, as not a lot of money from mass tourism goes to the government.
2. Rod and line fishing is being encouraged as it’s sustainable and protects endangered species and stops other fish being killed by huge nets
3. Soft engineering like mangrove plantation is being used, it’s sustainable, cost effective, creates habitats and its effective, it can also be used as materials and food

Question 6

How has the Maldives shown Resilience (3)

Answer 6

1. Dhuvafarv was inhabited in 2008 to rehouse those homeless due to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
2. Children are now being educated on n environmental science so when they grow up the will be more likely able to tackle the climate and rising sea levels.
3. Male the capital is protected by a $63 sea wall paid for by Japan.

Question 7

How has the Maldives shown mitigation (3)

Answer 7

1. Maduvari island, sand dredged from lagoons to make temporary sea defences giving island 20 years, carbon foot print of Island reduced (less global warming)
2. Mangrove planted on 150 island to slow down coastal erosion and be used as fuel, food and medicine, this sustainable.
3. Maldives are the first country wanting to become carbon neutral by 2020

Question 8

How has the Maldives shown adaptation (3)

Answer 8

1. Creation of artificial island, Huhumale will house 100,00 by 2030. Mosques will be at the highest points to provide shelter against extreme events
2. Increasing the ability to harvest rain water and protect groundwater supplies.
3. $9.3 million adaptation programme investing in soft engineering instead of hard (sea defences)

Question 9

How successful are the attempts to save the Maldives (3)

Answer 9

1. The sea wall in Malé has saved lots of money as waves will no longer destroy buildings or the island (erosion), but it hasn’t stopped the sea levels from rising so eventually Malé will still be flooded.
2. Hulu Malé being constructed has resulted in Malé not being as densely populated, generates money from the tourist industry, it was built from sustainable resources
3. Maldives going carbon neutral will reduce the amount of global warming which leads to rising sea levels, but this won’t benefit them much as they are the only carbon neutral country and huge countries like USA are pulling out of global warming agreements causing sea levels to rise even faster

Question 10

Describe flamborough heads characteristics (3)

Answer 10

1. Made up mostly of chalk, a resistant alkaline rock, not a lot is broken down by waves, it also dissolved so less sand for the beaches to the south so less of a buffer against destructive waves.
2. The prevailing wind form the north east generates a large wave fetch (1000km) which produces more powerful and destructive waves
3. Flamborough head acts a giant ground and stops beaches south of it being replenished by LSD

Question 11

Describe the characteristics of the coastal are around Hornsea etc (3)

Answer 11

1. LSD transfers sediment, predominantly suspension
2. The coast is boulder clay front he last ice age, which is susceptible to slumping when wet
3. Defences at places like Mappleton and Hornsea will protect this place but leads to increased erosion to places south of them ‘terminal ground syndrome’.

Question 12

What are the characteristics of spurn head spit

Answer 12

Mudflats, salt marshes and sand dunes are found here. It’s a deposition all landform at the merger of the Humber and North Sea

Question 13

What is the Social cost at Hornsea

Answer 13

Bays are beginning to develop between protected areas- wave refraction will therefore focus on the defences- this makes hard engineering unsustainable

Question 14

What are the social benefits at Hornsea (2)

Answer 14

1. The defences protect the CBD and conservation sites like St Nicholas Church
2. Sea wall although ugly, is a tourist attraction with a promenade, splash pool and nature trail

Question 15

What is the economic cost at Hornsea

Answer 15

There is very little economic development where the sea wall drops in height. Businesses are not interested in developing towards the south of the CBD

Question 16

What are the economic benefits at Hornsea (2)

Answer 16

1. Sea wall cost £8 million but needs very little repair due to design of it
2. The groynes trap sediment from LSD and develop a beach which acts as a buffer to the waves and encourages tourism (70% of the economy)

Question 17

What is a environmental cost at Hornsea

Answer 17

Erosional rates have trebled south of the groynes, farmland and longbeach caravan park have disappeared but this land wasn’t felt worthy of protecting

Question 18

What are the economic issues/characteristics at Easington gas terminal (3)

Answer 18

1. A £4.5 million sea wall has been built to protect the terminal as 25% of the UK gas flows into this site. Politically it is vital we protect this because we need to be as self sufficient as possible
2. House values drop and people struggle to sell their homes
3. The Easington caravan park loses around 10 pitches a year

Question 19

What are the social issue at Easington Gas Terminal

Answer 19

The local primary school is seeing a falling roll as people move away. The population is 650 and falling

Question 20

What is a environmental issue at Easington Gas Terminal

Answer 20

Erosion rates increase when defences stop. Farmland is being lost a 2 metres per year

Question 21

When is no active intervention used and why

Answer 21

In areas of low economic value mad where erosion rates have tripled due to ‘hold the line’ at other sections of the coast. Defending the whole coast would stop sand being eroded from cliffs so it would not be carried southwards to maintain areas like Spurn Head which protects places like Grimsby, also mudflat buffers wouldn’t be built up protecting areas across the Humber.

Question 22

Why is Abbott’s Hall farm becoming a managed retreat

Answer 22

1. Suffering erosion rates of 2 metres a year
2. Increasing rates of flooding as south of England is sinking
3. Hard engineering is to costly and the land is of low value.

Question 23

What are the characteristics of Abbots Hall farm (6)

Answer 23

1. Sea wall removed in 2002 due to cost of constant repair and breaches
2. A salt marsh developed which is a habitat and defence it contains spikes chord grass.
3. It provided important habitat for several bird species including short-eared owl.
4. Counter wall waste built to protect the more productive farmland
5. A new freshwater pond was built to compensate for the loss of other freshwater areas providing habitat for protected species like the great crested newt, also 3 viewing hides were built to provide visitor facilities.
6. It’s sustainable due to the eustatic and isostatic change in South UK

Question 24

What is being done at Sefton Coast

Answer 24

Sand dune regeneration

Question 25

Where is Sefton coast

Answer 25

Sefton coast, north of Liverpool, northwest England

Question 26

Why does Sefton coast need protecting (3)

Answer 26

1. Largest sand dune area in England, extending over 17kms
2. Sand is also removed for glass polishing
3. Open access for tourists during the 1960s and 70s meant the frontal dunes suffered greatly; more recently with off road vehicles breaking up the dunes and destroying vegetation

Question 27

What were the objective of the scheme at Sefton coast (3)

Answer 27

1. Close monitoring of numbers
2. Prohibiting the use of off-road vehicles in most areas
3. Controlling the extraction of sand for commercial purposes

Question 28

What were the costs at Sefton coast (3)

Answer 28

1. Continued erosion of Formby Point of between 3-5 metres a year
2. Removal of the pine plantation would threaten one of the few remaining colonies of red squirrels in the British Isles, which is an attraction for visitors
3. Difficulty of managing increased visitor numbers; particularly during the summer months, attracted to the beaches, dunes and pine forest. Occasionally, visitors using off-road vehicles continuing to break up the dunes, despite many dunes being fenced off

Question 29

What were the benefits of the removal of the pine plantations north of formby point (3)

Answer 29

1. Reduced the fire risk
2. Re-colonisation by specialised plants such as yellow bartsia and animals such as the sand lizard and natterjack toad
3. Mobile dunes and associated plants would increase the biodiversity of the area, return the souls to a natural condition, and even allow groundwater levels to recover

Question 30

How successful are the schemes at Sefton Coast and are they sustainable

Answer 30

People were upset about the pine woods at Formby being destroyed, also pressure on this coast will increase due to the change in environment (sea levels rising and more storms), and visitor pressure will increase due to the dunes, this as an active coastline so it will be changing often. Maintaining the ecosystems and allowing recreational activities will be very difficult to balance

Question 31

What was put in place at Mappleton and why and what are the problems with them

Answer 31

2 rock groynes which cost £2 million, they were built to protect the B1242 which is a vital ‘artery for this coastline, allows social and economic activities to continue, but this resulted in loss of farmland up to triple previous rates as the groynes starved the beaches south