Westwood Ho! Flashcards
How long is the ridge
60m wide and 3km in length
Hypothesis based on the assumption that the ridge is a spit
- pebble size will decrease towards the distal end of the ridge
- pebble roundness will increase towards the distal end of the ridge
- the pebble ridge will be wider and higher at the proximal end and narrower at the distal end
What is a bar?
A bar is a shingle ridge or bank, that is initially deposited offshore and is covered at high tide
What is a spit?
A spit is a shingle ridge created by long-shore drift; the movement of material along a coastline until disrupted by a river or change in coastal direction causing material to be deposited. One end is attached to land, while the other ends in open water, often with a recurved end
Evidence that the pebble ridge is a spit
Overtime, the ridge has moved along the beach, suggesting that the material has been moved as a result of long-shore drift, forming a spit
Additionally, the prevailing wind direction towards devon is south westerly from the Atlantic Ocean - therefore the prevailing wave direction would be south westerly moving sediment east to west
Evidence that the pebble ridge is an offshore bar
- area around westward ho has a detailed record of sea level change and ridge movement
What is primary data?
data that has not previously been collected or processed - gathered fro students field work data or documents that have not been processed or analysed in any way
Why is primary data important to collect?
Researchers can not be certain of the reliability of the samples taken by researchers from the secondary data, nor the accuracy of the measurement used
What is observational data?
- field sketches, note taken and photos taken
Why are field sketches useful
allow great interpretation of the landscape
why are photos useful
allows a greater degree of detail to be observed- more accurately in color and proportion of features
Justification of automatic leveller
provided an extremely accurate measurement of the staff, ensuring that the ground was level, increasing the accuracy of the recording on the staff.
Justification of measuring tape
This allowed systematic data collection; students could take readings every 5m along the transect to gather data at regular intervals to see whether there is a gradual change in height of the ridge as well as changes in pebble roundness and size.
Justification of staff
Fairly easy to read which increases the accuracy and is extendable so is a sufficient height to measure the cliff height
Justification of 1 metre ruler
Allowed systematic sampling along the cross-transect
Justification of calliper
Allowed precise measurements of the dimensions of pebbles to be collected
What was the sampling strategy of the investigation
The sampling frame covers a 60m by 1500m area. Taking samples along 1500m covers the distance of the ridge and taking samples across 60m, covers the width of the ridge. The ridge was systematically sampled, this involved dividing the ridge into transects 100m apart. In terms of the ridge profile, systematic sampling was also used every 5m, using the automatic leveller.
What was the sampling strategy of the investigation (pebble)?
The pebbles were sampled using stratified sampling, at the base of the ridge, the HWM (high water mark) and the top of the ridge.
How was the data for the profile of the cobble ridge collected
The data for the profile of the cobble ridge was collected using an automatic leveller to measure the difference in height of the slope, for 1500 meters along the ridge in total, with a transect every 100 meters.
How was the data for the pebbles collected?
One pebble was measured every meter for 10 meters, either side of the transect line. The distance between each pebble being measured was measured using a meter stick which was flipped over every meter. These measurements were taken at the beginning, middle and top of the pebble ridge. This means that there were 60 pebble measurements made for each transect, so 900 measurements were taken in total on the pebble ridge.
How was the labour divided?
The labour was divided so that one person measured the pebbles, one person held up the 5 meter staff, and two people set up and operated the automatic leveler.
Why was the labour divided in such a way?
because taking the pebble measurements had the simplest methodology and did not require complex equipment to be completed. Whereas the automatic leveler is a more advanced piece of equipment, which took more time and focus to set up and operate, meaning that 2 people were required for this role. One person held the 5 meter staff as this was enough to keep it stable and for it to be effective in the investigation.
What were the weather conditions?
The weather conditions were dry, with little wind. Although there was little wind, this still may have impacted how steadily the staff was held due to the height of the staff, meaning that it was easily moved by the wind. However if this had been a notable issue, then another person could have been used to help stabilize the staff. There were no other impacts on the data collection as a result of weather conditions.
What did the data of the profiles show?
These profiles clearly show a decreasing ridge width and height along the coastline from the slipway. This would support our hypothesis that the ridge is a spit.
