Holderness case study

Question 1

Is Holderness a high or low energy coastline and at what rate does it’s coastline erode?

Answer 1

It is a high energy coastline
Eroding at a rate of 2m per year making it europes fastest eroding coastline

Question 2

What are three main reasons for Holderness’ rapidly eroding coastline?

Answer 2

Geology
Fetch
Longshore drift and beach material

Question 3

How does geology effect the rate of erosion on the holderness coast?

Answer 3

Made up of soft boulder clays left over from the retreat of ice sheets roughly 12,000 years ago
Chalk surrounds the boulder clay and has led to the formation of coastal landscapes such as headlands and bays, cliffs, caves, arches and stacks

Question 4

What is a fetch and how has the fetch impacted erosion on the Holderness coastline?

Answer 4

The fetch is how far the waves have travelled
The holderness coast has a fetch has a fetch of 500-800 km long which is not usually enough to create high energy waves
- However currents move northwards around the UK from the atlantic and into the north sea. The atlantics fetch is 5000km so the currents add energy to the waves, causing more powerful destructive waves
- There is often storms creating higher energy waves and higher tides
- sea floor is also deep so there is little friction

Question 5

How does Long shore drift and beach material impact erosion on the Holderness coast?

Answer 5

Boulder clay erodes very easily and produces very small, fine clay particles, these are easily transported by long shore drift out to sea and along the coast rather then accumulating in front of the cliffs

Question 6

Economic impacts of erosion on the holderness

Answer 6

Less visitors to the coastline
Settlements unable to maintain population
Money has to be spent on maintaining and protecting the coastline
Gas terminal in easington at risk - provides 25% of britains gas
80,000 m^2 of farmland lost each year

Question 7

Social impacts of erosion on the holderness coastline

Answer 7

Home and businesses lost
People forced to move out of their homes
Lower quality and standard of living as home owners house price drops and they are left with no compensation

Question 8

Environmental impacts of erosion on the Holderness coast

Answer 8

Wildlife losing diversity as the environment cant support life with a lack of sediment
SSSI’s at risk

Question 9

How has management impacted the Holderness coastline

Answer 9

Coastal management strategies have been put in place.
This has massively impacted the flow of sediment disrupting the dynamic equilibrium.
This is especially apparent through terminal groyne syndrome

Question 10

Why does Hornsea need coastal management?

Answer 10

2.9km stretch of coastline which lies on boulder clay
Hornsea mere is a special protection area
High population density
Lots of infrastructure

Question 11

What coastal management strategies have been put in place?

Answer 11

Concrete sea wall - stop damage from destructive
Timber groynes - trap sediment - also acts as a natural barrier against waves. However it prevents sediment moving south, leading to terminal groyne syndrome

Question 12

Why was coastal management needed at freiston?

Answer 12

There was no sediment moving south due to terminal groyne syndrome

Question 13

What coastal management strategy was used in Freiston?

Answer 13

Managed realignment
- This is the removal coastal protection allowing for a previously protected area to go through coastal erosion and eventually become flooded creating a salt marsh

Question 13

Why was managed realignment used in Freiston?

Answer 13

This was used in order to create a salt marsh which acts a natural barrier to protect the coastline
- this was useful as they was not getting enough sediment to use groynes and also allowed sediment to be put back into the sediment cell
This has also increased the biodiversity in the area as it created a salt marsh