Holderness Coast Flashcards
Where is Holderness coast
East coast of England, from Flamborough to Spurn Point
How long is it
61km long
How fast does it erode
Erodes 2m and removes 2 million tons of material a year. It is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe
How much land has been lost since Roman times
5km of land has been lost as well as 23 towns/ villages
Geology of the coast
Layer of soft boulder clay with bedrock of Cretaceous chalk beneath.
What landforms are there?
Spit at spurn point. Stacks, arches, caves at Flamborough head.
Why does the area erode so fast?
Strong prevailing winds - creates destructive waves and causes long shore drift.
Boulder clay - erodes very fast when saturated.
Narrow beaches - little natural protection
Why are the waves powerful?
Long fetch across the North Sea
Difference in strength between chalk and boulder clay
Chalk is around 10 times stronger
How much of the coast has hard engineered defences
Around 1/6 (11.4 out of 61km)
what defences have been put up (Easington Gas Terminal)
Sea wall, gabions, rock armour to help protect the terminal.
How is Withernsea defended?
2.7km of defences including sea walls, groynes and rock armour. 70,000 tonnes of rock from Norway was supplied in 2020.
Negatives to Withernsea defences
Expensive and can cause increased erosion down the coast.
what problems are there with the defences (Great Cowden, Mapleton)
Increased erosion at Great Cowden due to groynes further up the beach in Mappleton. Erosion at Great Cowden is 10m per year.
what problems are there with the defences (impacts)
some affect tourism and reduce the local economy
