The Holderness Case Study

Question 1

Location of the Holderness?

Answer 1

• northeast of England
• between the Humber Estuary in the south and the headland at Flamborough Head

Question 2

What are the landforms along the Holderness?

Answer 2

1. Flamborough Head - caves, arches, stacks, stumps, wave-cut platforms
2. Bridlington Bay - bay, beaches, cliff slumping, wave-cut notch
3. Spurn Point - spit, recurved head, nature reserve, sand dunes

Question 3

What are the two factors affecting the coastal system?

Answer 3

1. Geology
2. Wind

Question 4

How does geology affect the coastal system?

Answer 4

More resistant rocks erode slowly compared to less resistant rocks. So resistant rock projects into the sea as headlands

Question 5

How does the wind affect the coastal system?

Answer 5

When the wind blows from the NE, it can drive powerful waves towards the Holderness, increasing rate of erosion in the area

Question 6

Hard engineering strategies used along the Holderness?

Answer 6

• Bridlington protected by 4.7km sea wall
• £2mil = two rock groynes + 500m reverent in Mappleton (1991)
• Easington Gas Terminal protected by a revetment

Question 6

Why does the Holderness coast need to be managed?

Answer 6

• Holderness coastline has retreated by 4km over the past 2000 years
• 30 villages have been lost
• loss of infrastructure - gas terminal at Easington is 25m from the cliff edge

Question 7

Why are the existing schemes not sustainable?

Answer 7

1. Groynes trap sediment so increase erosion of cliffs down drift - Mappleton scheme = Cowden Farm being at risk of falling into the sea
2. Protection of local areas = formation of bays. As bays develop, wave pressure on headlands increases = cost of maintaining sea defences become too high