SLAPTON- coastal management at local scale

Question 1

What is the coastal management at local scale case study

Answer 1

Slapton

Question 2

Background info on slapton?

• where?
• how long?
• sources of income?

Answer 2

• Sediment sub-cell
• Southern coast,England (Devon)
• borders English channel
• 15 miles long
• Historically dependent on fishing, now tourism

Question 3

Processes in Start Bay?

• environment?
• unique process?
• landforms?

Answer 3

-Both high and low energy environments
-high energy- erosional landforms
-low energy- depositional landforms
-Material moves North via longshore drift
(due to prevailing SW winds at start bay)
-Offshore currents cycle material (closed system)
-Marine transgression occurs. Melting ice caused sea level to rise and this excess water pushed material back to the beach. This created 2 barrier beaches as material is stuck between narrow headlands

Question 4

Landforms/landscapes

Answer 4

-4km long barrier beach (Slapton sands)
(Formed by marine transgression)
-‘The dancing beggars’, series of stacks
-Several areas of wave-cut platforms
-Large sediment store (the Skerries bank), which helps circulation of sediment in the sub cell

Question 5

Management at slapton

-most protected areas

Answer 5

• Most valuable areas are Torcross and Beesands
• They have sea walls and rock armour
• 2014, 5 shingle bastions built on slapton sands to reduce LSD( however soon eroded)
• 250’000 tonnes of shingle moved in 2013 ( washed away over night…)
• Managed realignment of A379
• Natural processes & climate change will make future plans complicated