holderness coast

• Location : northeast England

  • Flamborough Head to Spurn Head - 61km
• rates of erosion is 2 metres a year
• cliif rock is boulder clay
• type of wave - exposed to destructive waves from North Sea during storms
• erosion is happening in the area as soft boulder clay is easily eroded by wave action - Great Cowden erodes 10m every year
• mass movement occurs in the area - boulder clay is prone to slumping wen wet as water makes clay heavier and acts as lubricant between particles
• transportation in area - prevailing winds from NE transports material south in currents and longshore drift
• deposition happens in area as when currents meet outflow of the Humber River , flow becomes turbulent and sediment is deposited
• landscapes around Holderness coast:

  • headland and wave cut platform
  • beaches
  • sand dunes
  • spits
  • slumping cliffs
• headland and wave cut platform:

  • to the North , chalk is harder and less easily eroded , Flamborough Head has formed as well as wave cut platforms and stacks , caves & arches
• beaches:

  • south of Flamborough Head is sheltered from wind and waves , wide sand and pebble beach has formed near Bridlington
• sand dunes:

  • around Spurn Head , material transported by wind is deposited - forms sand dunes
• slumping cliffs:

  • several slumps have occurred and not yet eroded , cliff has tiers. Slumps are common around Atwick Sands
• spit:

  • erosion and longshore drift created a spit with a recurved end across mouth of the Humber Estuary - called Spurn head.
  • inside spit , mudlfats and salt marshes have formed
• Holderness coast needs to be managed because:

  • 80,000km of good farmland lost each year
  • loss of infrastructure
  • loss of SSSI's - e.g Lagoons near Easington
• hard engineering:

  • 4.7km long sea wall + timber groynes
  • 2 rock groynes and 500m revetments at Mappleton , cost £2 million , protects roads
  • sea wall , riprap and groynes at Hornsea village
• Easington gas terminal protected by sea wall
• sea wall , ripraps and groynes are at hornsea village
• landowners in Skipsea uses gabions to protect caravan park
• gorynes protect local area but will increase erosion of the cliffs down-drift - Mappleton scheme caused increased erosion of cliffs south of Mappleton
• sediment from erosion of Holderness is washed into Humber Estuary , a reduction in this sediment increases risk of flooding along Humber estuary , increases erosion along Lincolnshire coast
• protection of local areas is leading to formation of bays between these areas , will cause wave pressure on headlands to increase and cost of maintaning sea defenses may become too high
• next 50 years people should focus on 'holding the line' at most settlements and 'doing nothing' for less populated stretches - unpopular with land owners of land and property
• managed realignment has been suggested e.g relocating caravan parks further inland and allowing land they're on to erode - more sustainable. Issues about compensation for businesses for relocating
• Holderness Borough Council decided to stop protecting Spurn Head - saves money. Overwashing may damage marshes behind it - coastguard station at risk
• easington gas terminal is protected by rock environment , council recommends these defences are maintained - defences ONLY protect gas terminal not village of Easington
• defences at Easington Gas station may increase erosion at legally protected SSI's to south