Flamborough Head Flashcards
How long is the coastline
60 km
What is the geology of north York moors
400m above sea level, made of sandstone, shales + limestone (formed during Jurassic period)
What is the geology of flamborough head
Made of chalk and topped with till
Differences in rock resistance responsible for varied coastal scenery
High cliffs, bays and headlands
Dominant wave direction
North and north-east
What is the fetch
1500 km
Where is the wave energy highest and why
The north facing nearest Saltburn as there is the most amount of exposed surface area
Why do rate of erosion vary
Due to the difference in wave energy inputs but also due to a variation in resistance of different geology is
What is the shale and clay erosion rates
0.8 mm per year
What is the wave height
Often exceed 4 m
What process operate from north to south
Long shore drift
Sediment from the river Esk
Supplies limited amount of sediment due to the construction of weirs and reinforce banks
Where is erosion and deposition occurring
Create a erosion occurs between Sunderland and Teeside, more deposition also occurs south of Scarborough
What direction is the nearshore sediment moving in
South
Where is the input Occuring
Robin Hood‘s Bay
What are the cliffs like along the coastline
The sediment is horizontally bedding as a result the profiles tend to have a vertical face
most of the cliffs of a layer of the week glacial till upon them which causes a low angle
What are the cliffs like at Flamborough
Cliffs made a chalk which is very strong due to tightly bonded mineral particles
The vertical cliffs are typically at 20 - 30 m high
with the overlying till lowered by mass movement processes to an angle of about 40°
What are the cliffs like between Saltburn and Robin Hoods Bay
The cliffs are much higher but often with a stepped profile this reflects the more varied geology
steeper slope segments are formed in the more resistant sandstone and limestone
with gentle slopes corresponding to the weaker Clays and shales again lowered by mass movement
Details of platforms at Robin Hood’s Bay
The platform slopes at a typical angle of 1° although ramped sections are steep as 15° the platform has a maximum width of about 500 m but extends much further into the offshore zone
Headlands and bays at Robin Hood’s Bay
Robin Hoods Bay has been eroded into relatively weak shales with more resistant bands of sandstone Either forming the headlands of ravansgar to the south and ness point to the north
What features are found in Sandwich Bay Flamborough head
Large joints or faults,
they are then exploited by the erosive action of the waves enlarging them to form caves and arches
a master joint in the chalk has been enlarged
How many geos are there along the coastline
Over 50 geos have formed along this coastline
most of them aligned to the north east, facing the dominant wave direction
Blowholes along the coastline?
They have developed were vertical master joints in the chalk have been enlarged subsequently chalk and border clay have collapsed into the underlying sea caves leaving a funnel like depression on the clifftop
Where are beaches found along the coastline?
They are found in the sheltered low energy environment such as Scarborough and Filey Bay
Why does sediment accumulate slowly
Deposits of sand and shingle accumulate slowly owing to low input of sediment from rivers and the slow rate of erosion of the resistant rocks
Why are there no spits along the coastline despite there being LSD
Because high energy waves remove sediment before it can accumulate
although LSD is considerable the coastline has no spits due partly to the high tidal range of around 4 m and the lack of estuarine in environment that would provide sediment sinks
