Paper 2: Coastal Fieldwork Flashcards
What is the coastal enquiry question?
How does coastal management have an impact on coastal processes and communities?
What are some coastal secondary data examples?
- Shoreline management plan
- Geology map
- News articles
What did the shoreline management plan show?
It showed that Walton will ‘hold the line’ until at least 2105. There is no active management in north Walton.
What did the geology map show?
It showed that Walton is built on soft rock (clay and gravel)
What did the coastal news articles show?
They showed that local residents aren’t happy about spending money on beach nourishment and want an improved sea wall
What are some coastal primary data examples?
- Beach profile (line graph)
- Groyne survey (bar chart)
- Coastal management survey (radar graphs)
What did the beach profile show?
Line graphs show steeper beach at Site 1 (managed beach) caused by a buildup of sand. This is because the groyne has trapped the sand that would be moved by longshore drift. Site 2 (by the Naze) has a more gentle beach. This area is less affected by the groyne and shows a more natural shaped beach reflecting coastal processes. However the beach there is narrower because it has not received as much sediment due to management updrift (south of this point).
What did the groyne survey show?
On the south side of both groynes there is a build up of sand (short distance between sand and top of groyne). This shows that the groyne is trapping sand as longshore drift moves material from south to north.
What did the coastal management survey show?
The radar graph shows that students thought that the best defence against erosion is through sea walls and rock armour because they are hard engineering and made of very resistant materials. However they were both considered quite ugly. Beach nourishment (soft engineering) scored well for attractiveness, naturalness and for tourists but does not have a long life span and is therefore expensive to maintain.
What is the conclusion of the coastal investigation?
Coastal management does have an impact on coastal processes - it can prevent erosion (to protect towns) and can disrupt longshore drift (groynes). The groynes led to terminal groyne syndrome further north. The choice of coastal management strategy (hard or soft engineering) can cause conflict in local communities because different groups have different views on the best strategy.
How accurate was the coastal investigation?
Overall the accuracy of the investigation was good - simple techniques and opinions - though there was some human error in using the clinometers
How reliable was the coastal investigation?
Reliability could have been improved by taking more measurements along the beach and by re-visiting in different conditions
What is accuracy?
How close the final result is to the correct or accepted value - improved by choice of equipment
What is reliability?
Whether if you repeat it you get the same or a similar answer over and over again - improved by completing the investigation at different times
