Geography 4.2.2 Human Activity & Coastal Landscapes

How does this factor impact coasts?

Development

How does this factor impact coasts?

Development

• Buildings on the coasts increase the weight pressure on cliffs

• Coastal location increases the demand for housing 

• Buildings and tarmac affect the drainage patterns 

• Tourism leads to increased:

  • Numbers of buildings: hotels, campsites, attractions

  • Pollution as a result of more traffic, litter and waste

  • Income for the local area

  • Jobs

How does this factor impact coasts?

Agriculture

• Increased soil erosion

• Clearance of trees and vegetation can lead to more surface run off and reduced coastal habitats

• Farmland may be lost due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion

How does this factor impact coasts?

Industry

• It is uncommon for the industry to locate directly by the sea so the impact is less than for other activities and tends to be indirect

• Nuclear power stations such as Sellafield and Hinkley Point are located by the coast

  • Concerns regarding radiation leaks such as at Fukushima in Japan

• Gas terminals such as Easington in East Yorkshire can be vulnerable to coastal erosion

How does this factor impact coasts?

Coastal Management

• Humans manage coasts to reduce erosion and protect development/industry

• Hard engineering includes groynes, sea walls, rip rap

  • May reduce erosion at the site but may increase it down the coast

  • Are often unattractive causing visual pollution

• Soft engineering includes beach replenishment, cliff drainage, planting vegetation

  • May reduce erosion

  • Works with the environment

Where is Holderness Coast?

• The Holderness Coastline is located on the East Coast of Yorkshire

  • From Flamborough Head in the north down to Spurn Head (61km), where it meets the Humber Estuary 

• It is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe at 2 m per year

What are the main rock types and processes?

• The rock type is mainly soft boulder clay 

  • Easily eroded and vulnerable to slumping

• The coastline has naturally narrow beaches, which give less protection as wave power is not reduced

• Longshore drift is the dominant process due to North Sea waves

• Waves along the coastline have a long fetch, which increases wave energy

How has human activity changed the coastline?

Coastal changes

• Due to the use of groynes at Mappleton, sediment has been prevented from moving south which has increased erosion at Great Cowden 

• Erosion has destroyed farms along with the loss of 100 chalets at the Golden Sands Holiday Park

• Spurn Head is at risk of losing habitats due to a lack of sediment to maintain the spit

What human activity has occurred on the coastline?

• Bridlington is protected by a 4.7 km long sea wall

• Gabions have been built at Skipsea

• Hornsea is a popular tourist destination where the cliffs are formed from soft boulder clay.

• It has a number of sea defences including:

  • Wooden groynes at a cost of £5.2 m

  • Concrete sea wall

  • Stone and steel gabion along with a concrete revetment have been built south of Hornsea, helping to protect the caravan park

• At Mappleton, riprap at a cost of £2 m, groynes and beach nourishment help to maintain a sandy beach

• Withernsea has a sea wall, groynes, riprap and beach nourishment in an effort to widen the beach and so reduce wave energy

• 2.25% of all UK gas comes through the gas terminal at Easington and £4.5 m was spent on riprap, but the scheme protects the terminal and not the village

• Spurn Head is protected with groynes and rock armour