Evaluate the view that coastal flood risks are increasing mainly because of rising sea levels20 Flashcards
intro
Eustatic is when sea level rises, isostatic is the movement of land.
The rise in sea level is not universal due to physical and human factors such as development structure and how low lying the land is.
Rising sea level is the most significant factor to increasing coastal flood risk, but other factors such as vegetation and coastal recession are also important.
point 1 It can be argued that storm surges influence the increase in coastal flooding risk:
explain what storm surges are
Depressions (low pressure) leading to storm events
Tropical cyclones
Warmer ocean temperatures combined with higher sea levels are predicted to make storms and tropical cyclones and more severe but its debated whether more frequent
point 1 It can be argued that storm surges influence the increase in coastal flooding risk:
example
and counter
One country which coast was flooded heavily by storm surges was Bangladesh. They were vulnerable to coastal flooding due to They were at risk as Bangladesh’s land is very low lying, this is supported by 80% of its land is just 10m above sea level.
This meant that they were at risk from flooding. However storm surges do not have the same affect globally on countries, which is why itsnot as significant.
For e.g in the UK the storm surges are less destructive due to improved coastal flood defences, furthermore surges are most powerful in areas located by the equator.
para 2 However rising sea level is most significant to the increasing in coastal flooding through climate change due to
and example
Higher temps led to will rise due to thermal expansion. Good- we’re back on SLR here.
However this only affects regions with warm oceans, mostly close to the equator. Thermal expansion is when water particles expands as it warms, this increases the volume of water, this has affected islands such as Kiribati. Kiribati is
point t can also be stated that the removal of coastal vegetation has also played a vital role increasing flood risks on coast.
EXAPLAIN HOW IT HELPS COAST USING OWN KNOWLEDGE
he removal of mangroves are deliberately done by human actions, and sometimes converted into shrimp farms. E:
Bangladesh has experienced a deforestation of coastal mangroves which once stabilised their coast. This increased their vulnerability to flood risk as they were no longer protected. Recent satellite studies show that 71% of Bangladesh’s mangroves forested coastline is now retreating by as much as 200metres a yea
point t can also be stated that the removal of coastal vegetation has also played a vital role increasing flood risks on coast counter
However mangroves are not as significant due to affecting flooding the least. This is because they don’t entirely stop flooding and coasts can still be flooded even with mangrove vegetation in the littoral zone
Finally it can be argued that coastal recession has caused an increase in coastal flood risks
E:This is because as coasts recede, it erodes the land making it lower. This increases its vulnerability to coastal flooding.
The changing of beach morphology can also affect the flood risk. This is as destructive waves remove sediment, making land flatter
Finally it can be argued that coastal recession has caused an increase in coastal flood risks
Low lying coasts such as Holderness are more susceptible to flooding during extreme weather events. In 2013, hight rides and storm surges caused flooding in several towns in Holderness. This meant people had to be evacuated and infrastructure was damaged.
2m a year
