Holderness Coastline Case Study

Question 1

What are the causes of erosion in the coastline?

Answer 1

• Weather: winter storms produce higher sea levels and rain increase.
• Waves: destructive waves erode the beaches and attack the foot of the cliffs. Longshore drift carries material away and tides in the lower energy environments of Humber estuary allow sediment to collect, forming a spit and sand dunes near Spurn Head.
• Geology: there are two main types of rock along the coastline, chalk and boulder clay. Chalk survives large-scale erosion, but clay is more easily eroded. Different rates of erosion give the coastline a distinctive shape.

Question 2

Costal managment in Skipsea:

Answer 2

• Gabion cages built by local landowners

Question 3

Costal managment in Hornsea Holiday Resort:

Answer 3

• groynes, steel doors, sea wall raised, sand dunes

Question 4

Costal managment in Withernsea:

Answer 4

• Groynes, sea wall, return wall, rip-rap, beach nourisment

Question 5

Costal managment in Easington:

Answer 5

• Reventments to protect natural gas station that handles 25% of North Sea production

Question 6

Costal managment in Spurn Head:

Answer 6

• Abandoned in 1995 because it was too expensive