Unit 1C - Coastal Landscapes in the UK - Coastal management strategies

Question 1

Soft engineering definition?

Answer 1

A sustainable approach to managing coast without use of artificial structures. Aim to work with natural processes

Question 2

Hard engineering definition?

Answer 2

Aims to resist energy of waves but works against nature with use of artificial structures

Question 3

Managed retreat definition?

Answer 3

Sea is allowed to erode and flood coastal areas, and humans moved away from coastal edge

Question 4

4 types of coastal hard engineering?

Answer 4

Sea walls, groynes, baboons and rock armour

Question 5

3 types of coastal soft engineering?

Answer 5

Beach nourishment, dune regeneration and beach reprofliling

Question 6

What is the aim of coastal management?

Answer 6

To protect people and environment from impacts of erosion and flooding

Question 7

How do sea walls work?

Answer 7

Work as physical barrier and absorb energy of breaking waves. Curved tops reflect wave energy

Question 8

3 +ves and 4 -ves of sea walls?

Answer 8

+ve: - most effective form of coastal defence

• last for many years
• don’t limit LSD
• ve: - very expensive
• changes area look, ugly
• may require other forms of defence
• need maintenance

Question 9

How does rock armour work?

Answer 9

Boulders of rock which act as barrier between sea and land, deflecting wave energy, which dissipates as water enters gaps.

Question 10

2 +ves and 4 -ves of groynes?

Answer 10

+ve: - cheaper than sea walls

• beach they create could be used for tourism
• ve: - may ‘starve’ other beaches as limit LSD
• ugly
• need to be maintained
• expensive

Question 11

How does beach nourishment and beach re-profiling work?

Answer 11

Sand and shingle from elsewhere or from lower down beach added to upper part of beach. Larger beach absorbs wave energy and limits erosion

Question 12

3 +ves and 3 -ves of rock armour?

Answer 12

+ve: - cheaper than sea walls

• last for many years
• easy to construct
• ve: - can look ugly
• rocks may be brought abroad at high cost
• access to beach difficult for people

Question 13

3 +ves and 3 -ves of gabions?

Answer 13

+ve: - cheapest hard engineering

• can be used to support cliffs
• not as visually intrusive as others
• ve: - don’t last as long as others (5-10 years)
• if damaged, can pose risk to people and wildlife
• not as effective as others

Question 14

4 +ves and 2 -ves of beach nourishment and beach re-profiling?

Answer 14

+ve: - area kept looking natural

• beaches can attract tourists - money created
• relatively cheap and easy to maintain
• works with natural processes
• ve: - access restricted when work takes place
• may be expensive in long term as has to be repeated

Question 15

+ves and -ves of dune regeneration?

Answer 15

+ve: - inexpensive if work carried out by volunteers

• important habitats created/protected
• maintains natural coast
• ve: - dunes can still be eroded if other defences not used
• could take 2-3 years for plants to become established
• regular maintenance and fences can be ugly

Question 16

4 +ves and 2 -ves of beach nourishment and beach re-profiling?

Answer 16

+ve: - area kept looking natural

• beaches can attract tourists - money created
• relatively cheap compared to hard engineering and easy to maintain
• works with natural processes
• ve: - access restricted when work takes place
• may be expensive in long term as has to be repeated

Question 17

+ves and -ves of dune regeneration?

Answer 17

+ve: - inexpensive if work carried out by volunteers

• important habitats created/protected
• maintains natural coast
• ve: - dunes can still be eroded if other defences not used
• could take 2-3 years for plants to become established
• regular maintenance and fences can be ugly

Question 18

4 +ves and 2 -ves of managed retreat?

Answer 18

+ve: - takes pressure off areas further down coast

• cheaper in long term than to continue defences
• creates new intertidal habitats for birds
• over time land will become marshland which then protects land
• ve: - relocation of people, which is costly and brings stress to lives
• loss of large agricultural land