Coastal Processes and Management: Case study- Holderness Coast

Coastal Processes and Management: Case study- Holderness Coast

1. Types of Coastal erosion:

   • Hydraulic action:
     • Hydraulic action is where air is trapped in cracks on cliff faces. When a wave crashes the air is compressed which weakens the cliff and therefore erosion occurs.
   • Abrasion:
     • Is where rocks and sand grind against the cliff.
   • Attrition:
     • Is where waves smash against the rocks and pebbles which they knock into one another and they break and become smoother and smaller.
   • Solution:
     • Is where acids are in the sea water and will dissolve some types of rock.

2. Destructive waves:

   • They are created in storm conditions. This is when the wind is powerful and the waves are big and strong.
   • They occur when wave energy is high and the wave has travelled over a long space/ fetch.
   • They erode away the coast and have a stronger backwash than swash and have a short wavelength that is high and steep.

3. Constructive waves:

   • They are created in calm weather and are less powerful than destructive waves.
   • They break on the shore and deposit material which builds up beaches.
   • They have a swash that is stronger than the backwash and they have a long wavelength that is low in height.

4. Swash carries material up the beach at an angle then the backwash goes back towards the sea at a 90 degree angle. Back wash and swash transports material and is called long shore drift which occurs in a zigzag.

5. Coastal Transport:

   • Solution:
     • Minerals are dissolved and are carried in a solution along the river.
   • Suspension:
     • Small particles are carried along the river and it can make the water look cloudy. Currents pick up large amounts of sediments in suspension during a storm. This is when storms generate high energy waves.
   • Saltation:
     • Load is bounced along the river bed. The large and heavier sediments cant keep a float and will go down to the river bed and bounce along the river bed.
   • Traction:
     • Pebbles and large sediments are rolled along the river bed.

6. Groups of people interested in coastal management:

   • local residents
   • environmental groups
   • developers
   • local councils
   • national governments
   • tourist boards
   • national park authorities
   • Reasons people may be concerned about the coast:
     • Erosion may threaten beaches or coastal settlements.
     • People may want to develop tourism in the area or tourism may decline.
     • Danger of flooding if sea level rises.
     • Sewage or pollution may increase in the area

7. Spits:

   • It is formed by longshore drift and is caused by the deposition of material. It is extended stretch of beach material and joins the mainland at one end. They start to form when there is a change in direction of the coastline.