Costal systems and landscapes.

Question 1

Heysham and Morecambe- four defence options:

Answer 1

Hold the line- retain the existing coastline by maintaining current defences or building new ones where existing structures no longer provide sufficient protection.
Do nothing but monitor- on some stretches of coastline, it is not technically economically or environmentally viable to undertake defence works.
Retreat the line- actively manage the rate and process of the coast retreats.
Advance the line- build new defences seaward of the existing line.

Question 2

Heysham and Morecambe- Background.

Answer 2

Current defences along the 8.5km stretch of coastline are the results of an improvement scheme of existing structures during a multi-phase programme between 1989-2018- costing £30m.
The mix of traditional hard engineering with more contemporary methods to improve the potential for sustainable management.

Question 3

Heysham and Morecambe- Strategy 1.
Rock armour/rip rap to enhance and protect the existing sea wall.

Answer 3

Boulders of locally sourced limestone are placed along the existing promenade and sea walls from the west to 1km east of the town centre.

Question 4

Heysham and Morecambe- Strategy 2.
Breakwaters or rock groynes.

Answer 4

Around ten breakwaters and rock groynes were built at intervals in front of the town.

Question 5

Heysham and Morecambe- Strategy 3.
Repaired and replaced sea walls.

Answer 5

The traditional sea wall was repaired and reinforced. Cost £11m and protects 11,400 homes and 2,246 commercial properties.
Design to last 100 years.

Question 6

Holderness- Case study:
- How long is the coastline?

Answer 6

61km long- Flamborough head to Spurn Head.

Question 7

Holderness- Case study:
- What are the cliffs made of and what type of wave are there?

Answer 7

-Boulder clay ‘till’.
-Destructive waves.

Question 8

Holderness- Case study:
-Coastal process operating in the area.

Answer 8

-Erosion: soft boulder is easily eroded, Great Cowden 10m/year.
-Mass Movement: boulder clay is prone to slumping when wet.
-Transportation: prevailing winds transport material southwards. Winds also create an ocean current that transports material south by longshore drift.
-Deposition: where ocean current meets the outflow of the Humber River, the flow becomes turbulent and sediment is deposited.

Question 9

Holderness- Case study:
-Headland and wave-cut platforms.

Answer 9

To the north the boulder clay overlies chalk. Chalk is harder and less easily eroded so it forms a headland and wave-cut platforms. Flamborough head has features such as stacks, caves and arches.

Question 10

Holderness- Case study:
-Slumping cliffs.

Answer 10

Frequent slumps give the boulder clay cliffs a distinctive shape. In some locations several slumps have occurred and have not yet been eroded, making the cliff tiered.

Question 11

Holderness- Case study:
Beaches.

Answer 11

The area to the south of Flamborough Head is sheltered from wind and waves, and a wide sand and pebble beach has formed.

Question 12

Holderness- Case study:
Sand dunes.

Answer 12

Around Spurn Head, material transported by the wind is deposited, forming dunes.

Question 13

Holderness- Case study:
Spit.

Answer 13

Erosion and longshore drift have created a spit with a recurved end across the mouth of the Humber Estuary- this is called Spurn Head. On the landward side of the spit, estuarine mudflats and saltmarshes have formed.

Question 14

Holderness- Case study:
How much has the coastline retreated i the past 2K years?
How many villages have been lost?

Answer 14

4km
30 villages.

Question 15

Holderness- Case study:
Social, economic and environmental problems.

Answer 15

-Loss of settlements and livelihoods-farmland.
-Loss of infrastructure- gas terminal at Easington only 25m from the cliff edge.
-Loss sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)- the lagoons near Easington,

Question 16

Holderness- Case study:
Hard engineering protection:

Answer 16

-Bridlington is protected by a 4.7km long sea wall as well as timber groynes.
-Hornsea- concrete sea wall, timber groynes, riprap.
-Mappleton- 2 rock groynes and a 500m long revetment were built (1991). Cost- £2million. Protects the village and B1242 coastal road.
-Skipsea used gabions to protect the caravan park.
-Withernsea- groynes and a sea wall with some rip rap in front of it.
-Easington Gas Terminal protected by revetment.
-Eastern side of Spurn Head- groynes and rip rap.

Question 17

Holderness- Case study:
Negatives of the existing schemes.

Answer 17

-The groynes trap sediment- protects local area but increases cliff erosion down-drift. (Mappleton has caused increased erosion south of it).
-Reduction of sediment increases the risk of flooding along the Humber Estuary as the sediment produced in Holderness used to wash to Humber, this also increases erosion in the Lincolnshire coast.
-Protection of local areas is leading to a build-up of bays forming. this means wave pressure on headlands will increase eventually making the cost of sea defences too high.
-Existing schemes are unsustainable.

Question 18

Sundarbans- Case study:
Where is it?

Answer 18

-Southwest Bangladesh and East India on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal.

Question 19

Sundarbans- Case study:
What is the land/area like?

Answer 19

-Part of the largest mangrove forest in the world.
-Very flat land and low-lying.
-Home to many rare species of plants and animals.
-In its natural state, the coastal system is in dynamic equilibrium.

Question 20

Sundarbans- Case study:
Opportunities for economic benefit:

Answer 20

-Flat, fertile land is good for growing crops (rice).
-Rich ecosystem of the mangrove forest provides crabs, fish, honey and nipa palm leaves used for making roofing and baskets.
- Mangrove forests provide timber for construction, firewood and furniture.

Question 21

Sundarbans- Case study:
Opportunities for services:

Answer 21

-Mangrove forest provides a natural defence against flooding, it acts as a barrier against the rough seas and absorbs excess water in the monsoon season- easier to live and grow crops.
-Mangroves protect the area against coastal erosion.

Question 22

Sundarbans- Case study:
Opportunities for development:

Answer 22

-Tourism opportunities- attracted by wildlife.
-Since 2011, cargo ships transporting goods such as oil and food have been allowed to use some of the waterways.
-A power plant has been proposed just north of the national park, providing energy for people in the region.

Question 23

Sundarbans- Case study:
Risks for occupation and development:

Answer 23

-Lack of fresh water for drinking/irrigation beause the water is diverted upstream for agriculture.
-Growing population leads to mangroves being cut down for more farmland and fuel- increases the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.
-Flooding can lead to salinisation- hard to grow crops.
-Home to dangerous animals.
-Lack of employment and income opportunities.
-Low-lying land at risk from rising sea levels.
-Relatively poor region- 1/5 of households have access to electricity, which makes communication for flood warnings difficult.
-Access is difficult- only a few roads which are poor quality - limits healthcare and education.