Holderness case study Flashcards
Coasts
How long is the Holderness coastline?
61km long. It stretches from Flamborough Head to Spurn Head.
What are the Holderness cliffs made of?
Most of the cliffs are made of till (‘boulder clay’) which is considered a soft rock.
Which type of waves are found at the Holderness coastline?
Destructive waves from the North Sea.
Which coastal processes are operating in the Holderness area?
1= Erosion by wave action
2= Mass movement
3= Transportation via winds
4= Deposition
What has the rate of erosion been at Great Cowden (Holderness) in recent years?
10m/year
Which landscapes are found at the Holderness coastline?
1= Headlands/bays
2= Wave-cut platforms
3= Slumping cliffs
4= Beaches
5= Sand dunes
6= Spit
Give an example of an erosive landscape at the Holderness coastline? (Hint - H&B).
Till overlaying chalk to the north of the area has eroded quickly, forming a headland (Flamborough Head) and wave-cut platforms and arches et al.
Give an example (or two) of a depositional landform at the Holderness coastline.
1= The area to the south of Flamborough Head is sheltered from wind, leading to a pebble beach near Bridlington.
2= Longshore drift created a spit called Spurn Head, and saltmarshes behind it.
How much has the Holderness coastline retreated in the past 2000 years.
4km.
How many villages have been lost to the coastal erosion at Holderness.
30.
Give four examples of key POIs which are at risk to erosion at the Holderness coast.
1= The village of Skipsea.
2= 80,000m2 of farmland.
3= Gas terminal at Easington.
4= Loss of SSSIs, e.g. lagoons that provide key habitats.
What is a SSSI?
Site of Specific Sceintific Interest.
How much of the holderness coastline is being protected with hard engineering?
11.4km of the 61km coastline
What hard engineering strategy is being used at Bridlington?
A 4.7km long sea wall as well as timber groynes.
What hard engineering strategy is being used at Hornsea?
Concrete wall, timber groynes and riprap to protect the town.
What hard engineering strategy is being used at Mappleton?
Two rock groynes and 500m of revetment, costing 2m in 1991. They protect the village and the B1242 coastal road
What hard engineering strategy is being used at Skipsea?
Gabions have been used in order to protect a caravan park.
What hard engineering strategy is being used at Withernsea?
There is a sea wall, groynes and riprap in Withernsea placed due to some storms in 1992.
Why are groynes not sustainable?
Groynes trap sediment, increasing the width of the beaches. This protects the local area but increases erosion of the cliffs down-drift as the material eroded from beaches there isn’t replenished. Use the example of Cowden Farm as it is now at risk of falling into the sea.
What impact does hard engineering have on the Humber estuary?
Reduction of sediment into the estuary increases the risk of flooding and increases erosion along the Lincolnshire coast. As well as this, mudflats not being formed could harm the ecosystem of the area.
Why may protection of the Holderness coast eventually become economically unsustainable?
The protection of local areas is leading to the formation of bays between these areas. This increases the wave pressure on headlands and eventually make the cost of maintaining sea defences too high.
What is the current SMP for Holderness?
The SMP for Holderness for the next 50 years reccomends ‘holding the line’ at some settlements (such as Hornsea), and ‘doing nothing’ in less populated stretches. However this can be unpopular among landowners along these stretches.
What would be a more sustainable SMP approach to Holderness which has been suggested?
Managed realignment has been suggested, relocating caravan parks further inland and allowing the land they are on to erode. This is more sustainable as it allows the natural processes without endangering businesses. But, relocation is not always possible.
