How are landforms interrelated and changes in time to the landscape

Headland and Bay

• wave refraction around the headland means that sediment that has been eroded from the headland is transported into the bay in gentle flowing currents

• the waves that enter the bay are lower energy and constructive, building up the beaches due to increased deposition

• however, the beach in Filey Bay is also linked to the cliffs which are made up if weak Kimmeridge clay which retreat at a rate of 0.8 metres per year and this eroded sediment is added to the sediment budget , helping to build up a beach within the low energy bay

• conclusion - the beach store of sediment and the geology of the cliff is a highly significant inter-relationship

Flamborough head headland, north landing linked to caves, arches, stacks, stumps

• all found on the same headland and formed from the same headland

• the stacks, stumps and arches are formed along the actual headland so are very closely linked

Cliff retreat and wave cut platform e.g. Robin Hood’s Bay

• when cliff retreat occurs, the wave cut platform extends in width e.g. the WCP is 500m wide

• however, the relationship works the other way - when the wave cut platform reaches a certain width, it dissipates the wave’s kinetic energy, preventing further erosion and retreat of the cliff resulting in equilibrium over time in the landscape

Formation of geos and blowholes on the cliffs at Selwick’s Bay

• both require lines of weakness

• blowholes require horizontal lines of weakness

• lithologically resistant e.g. chalk

• lithologically prone to carbonation and chemical weathering

• the front of the blowhole can collapse to form a geo

Changes to the landscape system over milennia/long term

• wave cut platform - 500 metres at Robin Hood’s Bay

• Cave, arch, stack, stump - also needs a headland

• headlands also take thousands of years to form

• geos and blowholes

• Filey Bay + Brigg

However:

• rockfall leading to WCP takes seconds even though the WCN takes years to form

• collapse of an arch roof takes seconds

• the processes that erode these landforms occur daily and Filey Bay is formed from Kimmeridge clay so cliff retreat happens at a much quicker rate of 0.8 metres/year