Geography - CASE STUDY, Holderness coastline (coastal management)

Where is the Holderness coastline located?

Where is the Holderness coastline located?

on the east coast of England

Why is the Holderness coastline in need for protection?

• It is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe

• It is rapidly eroding at an average of 1.8 metres a year

state 4 reasons why the Holderness coastline is eroding so easily.

• the cliffs are made from soft clay

• beaches give less protection to the coast as they don't reduce the power of the waves.

• waves travel long distances and are powerful

• groynes have been installed, which stop longshore drift, narrowing unprotected beaches

state management strategies for Holderness coast for Hornsea, Mappleton, spurn head and Withernsea

• Hornsea is protected by a sea wall, groynes and rock armour

• Mappleton is protected by groynes.

• Spurn Head is protected with groynes and rock armour.

• Withernsea has used groynes and also a seawall

State 3 conflict statements on the Holderness coast management.

• increase in erosion at Great Cowden because of the groynes used in Mappleton. This has led to farms being destroyed.

• people disagree with where the sea defences are located, especially if it means the land in their community is not protected.

• sea defences negatively impact on tourism and reduce the amount of money coming in to the area.

name 4 hard engineering strategies.

• sea walls

• groynes

• rock armour

• gabions

name 2 soft engineering strategies.

• beach nourishment

• reprofiling

2 advantages + disadvantages of gryones

• Builds a beach, which encourages tourism

• They trap sediment being carried by longshore drift

• increases rate of erosion

• They look unattractive

2 advantages + disadvantages of rock armours

• Cheaper and easy to maintain

• Can be used for fishing

• They look different to the local geology, as the rock has been imported from other areas

• rocks are expensive to transport

2 advantages + disadvantages of sea walls

• effective at protecting the base of the cliff

• people can walk along them

• Expensive - approximately £2,000 per metre.

• Not as strong.

2 advantages + disadvantages of beach nourishment

• lends in with the existing beach

• larger beaches appeal to tourists

• needs to be constantly replaced

• The sand has to be brought in from elsewhere