Jurassic Coast Flashcards
1
Q
Where is the Jurassic Coast?
A
Coast of Dorset and East Devon
2
Q
Where does the name ‘Jurassic’ come from?
A
- From the age of the rocks
- From the Triassic, Jurassic and cretaceous period
- Spanning 185 million years
3
Q
What is the coastline made up of?
A
- Alternating layers of sedimentary rock
- Which is why there is distinctive landscapes along the coast
4
Q
Triassic period (250-200 million years ago)
A
- Rocks were formed in desert conditions
- Rivers flowing through the desert deposited thick layers of sediment
- Rocks laid down in this period
5
Q
Jurassic period (200-140 million years ago)
A
- Sea levels rose flooding the desert
- Sea life flourished in tropical seas
- Thick layers of sandstone, clay and limestone were deposited
6
Q
Cretaceous period (140-65 million years ago)
A
- The sea level dropped
- New rocks were formed in swamps and lagoons
- Then earth movements tilted the rocks and the layers were eroded
- Then sea covered the land again depositing more clay, sandstone and chalk
7
Q
Quaternary period (2.6 million years ago to the present)
A
- Erosion created hills and valleys in the landscape
- Ice ages and changes in sea level took place
- The last ice age ended 10,000 years ago
- So sea levels rose to create the modern coastline
8
Q
When and what was the Winter storm?
A
- 5th February 2014
- A huge storm battered the Devon and Dorset coast
9
Q
What was the biggest impact from the winter storm?
A
The damage caused to the main railway line from Exeter to Plymouth that runs along the sea wall at Dawlish
10
Q
What happened to the main railway line?
A
- The track was left hanging in mid air
- The line had to be closed for 2 months for emergency repairs
11
Q
What other places were affected by the winter storm?
A
- Portland Bill: buildings were damaged
- West Bay: rock falls from the cliff so the coast retreated
- Lyme Regis: pounded by waves but had defences
12
Q
What makes up the West Bay?
A
- Alternating layers of soft sandstone and harder sandy limestone
- The cliffs can be easily eroded
13
Q
What are the impacts of climate change?
A
14
Q
Hard engineering
A
15
Q
Soft engineering
A
