Slapton Flashcards
Where is Slapton?
Located in Start Bay, a sediment sub cell on the southern coast of England in Devon on the English Channel, start bay is 15 miles long and runs from start point in the south to Wareen point in the north
What battles have been fought with the sea?
Loss of Hallsands in 1917 and Strete under cliff in the 18th century
What landforms are in start bay.
Both erosiónala and Depositional landforms because of both high and low energy waves
Explain erosion in start bay?
Erosion via Hydraulic power, wave quarrying, solution and abrasion is most obvious on the Southern (windward) side of Start point. Though also occurs on the small headland at Limpet Rocks (south of Torcross)
What type of beach is slapton sands?
A barrier beach
How does addition occur as material is moved north?
Long shore drift (LSD) in a northward direction within the cell
How does material get from the north to the south of the bay?
Offshore current cycles in the sediment sub cell
What’s dominant in the back of the bay?
Deposition which ensure the barrier beach remains
What unusual process has occurred in start bay?
Marine transgression (beach rollover)
What did slapton look like in the last ice age?
20 miles out from current coastline, sea levels where much lower, however as sea levels rose when the ice melted the sea water pushed the beach material towards the present day coast (marine transgression), this has led to 2 barrier beaches forming (Beesands and slapton sands) as the beach material become stuck between narrow headlands
How does sediment enter the cell?
From the sea (marine transgression), the coastline (via erosion) and fluvial inputs (from dart estuary to the north), this creates an U.S. usual mix of local lithology
Explain storm winds in slapton?
Come from the north east in winter and have high levels of erosive energy, this has led to damage ro coastal defences, flooding in the settlements of Torcross and Beesands and recent removal of beach material
What is the larges landform?
The 4km long barrier beach known as Slapton Sands. Formed by marine transgression this feature has also led to the creation of a freshwater lagoon (Slapton Ley) which is a designated SSSI
What are the dancing beggars?
A series of stacks to the north of the bay off the small headland at Combe point
What is at hallsands?
A small beach formed by deposition
We’re are wave cut platforms?
Old hallsands and an area in front of Limoet rocks
What is the large sediment store?
The skerries bank, in the bay which helps with the circulation of sediment around the sub cell
What are the most heavily managed areas?
Torcross and Beesands which high have sea walls and are protected by rock armour
What was built in 2014 on slapton sands?
5 shingle bastions to try and reduce LSD and erosion however they were soon eroded
How much shingle was moved from Strete to Torcross in 2015?
250,000 tonnes onky to be washed away over night in one winter storm
What has been done with the road?
Realignment occurring since it was first damaged in 2001, the road has since been moved inland in 2 places on 2 separate occasions (however not a long term solution)
What was historically places in front of the middle car park and beyond the sea wall at Torcross?
Rip rap, however this didn’t stop erosion of the car park at and the Torcross stretch has needed regular re-working, and has been in affective at North hallsands due to large depletion of the beach as a natural defence
Hat is the slapton line partnership?
A group taking a SMP approach and considering the view of many stakeholders
When was the Torcross sea wall built?
1979 and has been reinforced and extended since
What are being protected?
High value areas of start bay (Torcross and Beesands) following cost benefit analysis’
What is making future management of the area difficult?
Natural process and climate change (SLR)
