The Coastal Zone Managing The Coast Flashcards
What is hard engineering?
It involves the use of artificiical structures to control the force of nature along coast lines.
What is soft engineering?
Strategies to cope with coastal erosion that try to fit in and mimic nature.
Give three examples of hard engineering strategies…
Groyne
Sea wall/ recurved sea wall
Rock armour
Gabion cages
Give three examples of soft engineering strategies
Dune regeneration
Marsh creation
Beach nourishment
What is a groyne designed to do?
It is designed to stop Long Shore Drift.
This is why it is perpendicular to the beach.
What is beach nourishment?
Material is added to the beach to make it higher or wider and reduce wave energy coming up the beach. In turn this will reduce erosion.
Why are governments considering managed retreat as a viable coastal management option?
By allowing certain areas to flood and become salt marsh (valuable habitiat), they canb stop flooding occuring elsewhere.
What is our case study for coastal protection and what have they done?
Mappleton, Yorkshire.
They have used a rock groyne and rock armour.
What problems has this caused for South Mappleton?
Rates of erosion have increased to up to 12m per year!
People’s houses and businesses are literally falling into the sea and they cannot get insurance for this.
How has it helped people North of the groyne?
Rates of erosion have slowed down considerably because the soft cliff are now protected by the rock armour and the beach is now wider.
