SIL revision

Question 1

What are groynes?

Answer 1

Wooden/stone barriers constructed at perpendicular angles to the coastline which prevents the transportation of material along the coast by longshore drift, therefore reducing erosion by causing the deposition of sediment.

Question 2

What are the advantages of groynes?

Answer 2

-they are cheaper than other hard engineering methods (so money can be invested elsewhere)
-they are cheap to repair
-they do not affect access to the beach for visitors

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of groynes?

Answer 3

-they can lead to an increase in erosion further down the coast
-they require regular maintenance
-they are not aesthetically pleasing

Question 4

What is the approximate cost of groynes?

Answer 4

£5000 per groyne

Question 5

What are sea walls?

Answer 5

They are a wall of concrete with steel reinforcements and stone deep-piled foundations which shield vulnerable areas from erosion.

Question 6

What feature do most sea walls have? Why?

Answer 6

A lip closest to the coast at the bottom of the wall - to deflect wave energy.

Question 7

What are the advantages of sea walls?

Answer 7

-they can act as flood barriers
-modern sea walls dissipate wave energy and do not reflect it so there is less erosion further along the coast
-Can be up to 5m high

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of sea walls?

Answer 8

-they are expensive to build and maintain
-they create a strong backwash which can erode under the wall
-not aesthetically or visually pleasing

Question 9

What is the approximate cost of sea walls?

Answer 9

Up to £6 million per kilometre

Question 10

What is cliff drainage?

Answer 10

The removal of excess water from within the cliff to reduce pore-water pressure and prevent mass movement of material. Also, cliff drainage prevents surface runoff, further infiltration, and percolation into the soil.

Question 11

What are the advantages of cliff drainage?

Answer 11

-it maintains the aesthetic appearance of the landscape for tourism as the drainage structure as hidden
-no build-up of water on impermeable areas of clay

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of cliff drainage?

Answer 12

-drainage can result in the cliff material drying out, causing the collapse of large rocks, and degrading the cliff. This can pose a danger to wildlife and people on the beach.

Question 13

What is the approximate cost of cliff drainage?

Answer 13

£1 million per 100 metres

Question 14

What is rip rap/ rock armour?

Answer 14

Boulders placed in front of a cliff or sea wall which reduce erosion by absorbing the energy of the waves and reducing backwash by encouraging increased percolation into the rocks.

Question 15

What are the advantages of rock armour/ rip rap?

Answer 15

-quick and easy to construct
-if it is well maintained, the structure will last for a long time
-can be used to extend the life span of sea walls

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of rip rap/ rock armour?

Answer 16

-rock armour is not aesthetically pleasing
-rocks have to be quarried to build the structure which can cause environmental damage

Question 17

What is the approximate cost of rock armour/rip rap?

Answer 17

£1000 - £3000 per metre

Question 18

What are gabions?

Answer 18

Metal cages containing pebbles and rocks placed at the base of a cliff to act as a physical barrier to erosion by dissipating and absorbing wave energy when water enters the cages.

Question 19

What are the advantages of gabions?

Answer 19

-they are cheaper to build than other methods
-they are quick to build
-they are easy and cheap to maintain
-they can last between 20-25 years

Question 20

What are the disadvantages of gabions?

Answer 20

-damaged gabions can pose risk to natural life, e.g. sea birds
-gabions would quickly degrade if used on shingle beaches
-not aesthetically pleasing to local people

Question 21

What is the approximate cost of gabions?

Answer 21

£110 per metre

Question 22

What is offshore breakwater?

Answer 22

Large concrete boulders or blocks located offshore which reduce longshore drift and erosion by changing the direction of the waves as well as absorbing wave energy which reduces the velocity of the waves.

Question 23

What are the advantages of off-shore breakwater?

Answer 23

-they do not disrupt the natural appearance of the beach

Question 24

What are the disadvantages of off-shore breakwater?

Answer 24

-difficult to maintain due to location
-less effective than other methods at preventing coastal erosion
-they cause disruption to natural processes

Question 25

What is the approximate cost of off-shore breakwater?

Answer 25

£1000 per metre

Question 26

How is London multicultural?

Answer 26

-over 1/3 of the population is born in a foreign country
-50 different cultural communities are concentrated in different areas of London
-18% of the population are of Asian origin, 13% of the population are of Black African/African Caribbean origin.

Question 27

What is the windrush generation?

Answer 27

Between 1948 and 1970, half a million people migrated from the West Indian area of the Caribbean to Britain. This was because the British Nationality Act of 1948 enabled UK citizenship to be given to people from British colonies.

Question 28

Why were the Windrush generation given the name?

Answer 28

The first group of migrants was composed of 700 people who travelled from Jamaica to London on a ship named the H.M.T Windrush.

Question 29

How did Brixton become to have a strong West Indian culture?

Answer 29

-The Windrush square commemorates the 50th anniversary of West Indian migrants
-A mural in the city centre featuring children from many different cultures playing together to encourage acceptance of multiculturalism

Question 30

Give examples of discrimination endured by the West Indian community.

Answer 30

-they were turned away when applying for housing or forced to pay excessive rent costs in order to live within the area
-they struggled to obtain loans from banks
-they received physical and psychological hate from racists groups, such as teddy boys in the 1950s