Geography: Coastal hazards and their management

What are the physical factors that affect vulnerability to coastal hazards?

1) Frequency

2) Magnitude

3) Duration

4) Geology

5) Landscape

How do you frequency and magnitude increase vulnerability to coastal hazards?

If storms are happening regularly vulnerability can increase and if they have high magnitude they are more damaging this increases vulnerability.

How does duration increase vulnerability of coastal hazards?

Prolonged heavy rain can increase the risk of flooding as the ground gets saturated and water cannot infiltrate into the soil therefore is running along the surface

How does geology increase vulnerability to coastal hazards?

Soft rocks are more vulnerable to erosion weaknesses in rocks influence the risk of mass movement.

How does landscape increase the vulnerability to coastal hazards?

Flat low lying land is more at risk of flooding from storm surges.

What are the human factors that affect vulnerability to coastal hazards?

1) Age

2) Health

3) Population density

4) Education

What do age and health affect vulnerability to coastal hazards?

Older and younger people and people with illnesses or disabilities might find it harder to evacuate making them more vulnerable to coastal hazard

How does population density affect vulnerability to coastal hazards?

More densely populated areas are at higher risk as there is more people and emergency services become more widespread

What does education affect vulnerability to coastal hazards?

People with different levels of education may have more or less understanding of warnings increasing their vulnerability as they may not know to evacuate

What economic factors increase vulnerability to coastal hazards?

Poverty such as : low income, cheaper housing living in a LIC or not being able to afford coastal defences.

How does poverty increase vulnerability to coastal hazards?

It increases vulnerability as people on low income may not be able to afford insurance. People living in low income countries might not have equipped services to respond and also in those areas they might not be able to afford coastal defences as coastal defences are expensive.

What is a storm surge?

When there is a temporary rise in sea level in the area of a storm.

What causes a storm surge?

Storm surges are caused by low atmospheric pressure. As the atmosphere is pressing down on the surface of the sea less so it is able to rise.

How do storms increase coastal erosion?

Storms create strong winds which cause large destructive waves.

These waves have a lot more energy therefore they increase the rate of erosional processes such as hydraulic action and abrasion.

How do storm surges further increase the risk of coastal flooding?

As storm surges raise sea levels meaning that waves are able to reach higher up the cliff.

What does climate change make coastal areas more vulnerable to coastal hazards?

As a warmer atmosphere will increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events and will raise the sea levels