A virtual case study

Erosion on the Holderness Coast

Move through the power point in your own time

Use the power point to complete the worksheet you have been given

1)Where is the Holderness Coast?The Holderness Coast is found in England

Where is the Holderness Coast in England?

England

Holderness Coast Close upFlamborough Head

North Sea

Aldbrough a town at Holderness

Spurn Head

Flamborough Head

2) What is happening on the Holderness Coast?

The Holderness Coast is one of the world’s fastest eroding coastlines

On average 2 metres are lost to the sea each year!

This image shows an old map of the Holderness Coastline from above in 1852 in bright yellow

Present day

1852

Underneath the yellow map is a photograph of the same area from above in 2013.

This map shows the current coastline and the coastline in Roman times

Each red dot is one lost town

This means the town has disappeared as the cliff has retreated backwards

3) Why is the Holderness Coast eroding so fast?

There is a long fetch meaning waves have built up a lot of power by the time they reach the Holderness Coast

Click on the link below to some videos to see the destructive waves at the Holderness Coast

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/video_coastal_erosion.html

Why is the Holderness Coast eroding so fast?

Long shore drift carries material south to Spurn Head spit where it is deposited

This means very little sand is left on the beaches of the Holderness Coast

Without beaches the waves crash directly into the cliffs!

Click on the camera below to see the waves crash directly onto the cliffs

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/video_coastal_erosion.html

Why is the Holderness Coast eroding so fast?

The cliffs are made of a very soft rock called boulder clay and erode very easily

Click on the camera below to see the soft rock that the cliffs are made of

It looks like mud!

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/video_coastal_erosion.html

4) What impacts is erosion having on the Holderness Coast?

Flamborough Head

North Sea

In Barmston , many people have lost their homes to the sea

Those whose houses are still standing have lost their value, the owners can not sell and move away from the cliff edge

Who would want to buy a house from someone when it was about to fall into the sea!?

What impacts are erosion having on the Holderness Coast?

Flamborough Head

North Sea

In Hornsea and Mapleton a major coastal road passes through these sites

In order to protect the road which connects many towns, the government has had to spend millions of pounds building sea defences to protect the coast.

What impacts are erosion having on the Holderness Coast?

Flamborough Head

North Sea

In Aldbrough, farmers have lost large areas of their farms

This has meant they can farm less animals and have therefore lost money

What impacts are erosion having on the Holderness Coast?

Flamborough Head

North Sea

Withernsea is the largest town in the area and gets many tourists visiting it.

This tourism is under threat, so the government has spent millions of pounds on sea defences

What impacts are erosion having on the Holderness Coast?

Flamborough Head

North Sea

At Easington there is a Gas Terminal which collects gas from under the sea bed to use for electricity and heating

25% of the UK’s gas supply comes from this terminal!

It is too close to the cliff edge and may have to be moved inland at a huge cost

What impacts are erosion having on the Holderness Coast?

Flamborough Head

North Sea

Spurn Head is also starting to erode and the spit has the only lifeguard station on the coast to help boats in trouble,

5) What is being done to solve the problem of erosion?

Sea defences are being built along the coast , but only at locations where it is economically viable- this means where it is worth the cost of protecting the land behind

There are many sea defence schemes but this field trip will only focus on three of them

Flamborough Head

North Sea

Coastal management at Holderness

Click on each location with a red dot to discover about the sea defences in that location!

When you are finished looking at each location- click this button to reach the end of the virtual tour!

Coastal management at Holderness Mappleton

Rock Groyne

The sea defence at Mappleton was designed to cut down the erosion. Large boulders were placed along the foot of the cliff, and built out into the sea to form a groyne. The plan was to create an obstruction which would lead to the deposition of a beach - which would absorb the power of the waves and protect the cliff. To the left of this photograph we see the success of the groyne in developing the beach.This would protect the village of Mappleton and the main coastal road which passes within 20 metres of the cliff top.

Coastal management at Holderness Hornsea

Sea WallGroyneGabionsRock Armour

At Hornsea, the town is protected by a concrete sea-wall. The purpose of this is to reflect the waves and prevent them from eroding the soft material of the cliffs. The beach is protected by groynes - wooden barriers which prevent long-shore drift from moving the sand along the coast

Click on the link below to see the sea defences in actionhttp://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/hornsea.html

Coastal management at Holderness Withernsea

Sea WallGroyneRip Rap

At Withernsea , a tourist town along the Holderness coast, a concrete sea wall has been built to deflect the waves energy away from the coastline. Groynes have been built to build up a beach and rip rap has been placed to absorb some of the waves energy before it reaches the cliffs

Extra information

Watch the video clip called found at the following website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z8jfb9q

Make notes on any other information you think is useful for your case study.