physical landscapes in the uk case studies Flashcards
Describe the location and rock types at your case study for coastal landforms.
Dorset Coast - coastal landforms
- middle of the southern coast of England
- made of bands of hard rock (limestone and chalk) and soft rock (sandstone and clay), so there are headlands and bays
Name four landforms at your case study for coastal landforms.
Dorset Coast - coastal landforms
1) Durdle Door - an arch, waves opened crack in limestone
2) Lulworth Cove - small bay formed after a gap was eroded in a band of limestone, so a band of clay was eroded to form a bay
3) Chesil Beach - tombolo (a type of bar), joins Isle of Portland to the mainland, the Fleet Lagoon is behind it
4) Swanage Bay, the Foreland and Studland Bay - the bays are soft rock with beaches, the Foreland is hard rock in between; the end of the headland forms a stack called Old Harry and a stump called Old Harry’s Wife
Describe the location and the coastal problems affecting your case study for a coastal management scheme in the UK.
the Holderness coast - coastal management
- in North East England
- one of the highest rates of coastal erosion in Europe
- the cliffs are collapsing as they are made from clay
- strong prevailing winds mean eroded material is moved south along the coast by longshore drift, exposing a new area of the cliff to erosion, causing retreat in the coastline (1.8 m of land lost a year)
Give three reasons why hard engineering strategies were used in your case study for a coastal management scheme in the UK.
11 km of the Holderness coastline is managed because
- towns and villages like Hornsea on the coast where people live
- important infrastructure like the B1242 road links many towns and businesses along the coast
- the gas terminal at Easing supplies 25% of the UK’s gas, and is on the right end of the cliff
Describe the management strategy in your case study for a coastal management scheme in the UK.
the Holderness coast - management strategy
- in 1991, 450 m of coastline protected for £2 million
- placed rock armour made of granite along base of cliff
- two rock groynes
Give one success due to your case study for a coastal management scheme in the UK.
the Holderness coast - successes
- villages and B1242 road no longer at risk of erosion
Give six effects and conflicts as a result of your case study for a coastal management scheme in the UK.
the Holderness coast - effects and conflicts
- increased erosion in the south due to groynes preventing the movement of sediment to the south
- loss of land in the south of Mappleton
- coastguard and lifeboat services under threat
- loss of habitats due to less material
- bays form between protected areas, and protected areas become headlands; maintaining defenses in protected areas is more expensive
- in 1999, 1 km stretch of coast near gas terminal had to be protected by rock armour as a result, costing £6.6 million
Describe the location, length and sources of the river at your case study for river landforms.
The River Clyde - river landforms
- flows through south-west of Scotland
- 160 km long
- source is in Southern Uplands region
- flows through Motherwell and Glasgow
- mouth is an estuary on the west coast of Scotland
Describe seven landforms at your case study for river landforms.
The River Clyde - river landforms
1) estuary - west of Glasgow, 3km wide, mudflats either side, exposed at low tide
2) flood plain - Glasgow is built on it, 5m above sea level
3) meander - between Motherwell and Glasgow
4) interlocking spurs - at Crawford, between 300 and 500m high
5) waterfalls - Falls of Clyde near Lanark, highest is 27m
6) gorge - along Falls of Clyde
7) oxbow lake - starting to form at New Lanark
Describe the location and the flooding problems affecting your case study for a flood management scheme in the UK.
Boscastle - flood management
- north coast of Cornwall (south-west of England)
- flash flood in August 2004 caused millions of pounds of damage; there were no modern flood defenses
- surrounded by steep valley sides
- cleared trees and vegetation nearby mean more runoff
- 90% of local economy relied on tourism, and after 2004, number of tourists dropped, so demand for protection increased
Describe the flood management strategy in your case study for a flood management scheme in the UK.
Boscastle - flood management strategy
- completed in 2008
- river embankment has been strengthened
- new flood wall was built
- dead trees and vegetation removed to stop them blocking the river channel during floods
- car park has been raised and has left an area that can flood
- a gauge has been introduced to monitor water levels and improve flood prediction
Give one social benefit and two issues as a result of the flood management strategy in your case study for a flood management scheme in the UK.
Boscastle - social benefits and issues
- residents’ lives were disrupted for years
- new defenses only protect against a 1 in 75 year flood; they won’t protect against a flood the same size as 2004 flood
- they do make Boscastle safer
Give one economic benefit and one issue as a result of the flood management strategy in your case study for a flood management scheme in the UK.
Boscastle - economic benefits and issues
- homes and businesses are less at risk to flooding, so less risk of expensive damage to property, loss of stock and businesses and rising insurance costs
- flood management scheme costs over £4 million but isn’t as good as it could be; some options were too expensive
Give three environmental benefits as a result of the flood management strategy in your case study for a flood management scheme in the UK.
Boscastle - environmental benefits
- vegetation and river habitats in the area are continuously managed
- biodiversity and river habitats have been improved
- new channel has been engineered to look natural and function as a normal river
