Saltburn - Flamborough

• Subcell 1D

  Sediment from nearshore driven onshore
• Saltburn

  Fetch of 1,500km

  High wave energy
• Saltburn

  Exposed parts of coast are north facing

  Erosion rates and geology vary

  -Shale and clay 0.8m/year

  -Sandstone and limestone 0.1m/year
• Whitby Sands

  Wave height >4m in summer

  Significant longshore drift
• Filey Bay

  Sediment movement interrupted by headlands, meaning shingle accumulates
• Flamborough Head

  Chalk topped headland

  Till topped - from glaciers

  High cliffs

  Bay - headland sequence
• What are the 3 major subdivisions of the coastline?


  1. Saltburn to Whitby

  2. Whitby to Scarborough (includes Robin Hood's Bay)

  3. Scarborough to Flamborough Head (includes Filey Bay and Selwick's Bay)
• What are the dominant waves that affect the coastline?

  • from the North/North-West

  • fetch over 1500km
• How do waves influence Saltburn?


  Saltburn is north-facing, so this area receives the highest input of wave energy
• What was the increase in beach sediment at Saltburn between 2008-2011?

  9000m3
• What are the cliffs like between Saltburn and Robin Hood's Bay?


  • high but have a stepped profile due to varied geology

  • steeper slope segments formed from more resistant sandstones and limestones

  • gentler slopes formed from weaker clays and shales, lowered by mass movement
• What height did waves in Whitby reach during 2010-11?

  often exceeded 4m
• What is unique about Whitby along this coastline?


  • only large river along coastline enters North Sea at Whitby, River Esk

  • it supplies limited amount of sediment due to construction of weirs and reinforced banks along its path
• How has Robin Hood's Bay formed?


  • erosion of weaker shales that are surrounded by more resistant bands of sandstone either side

  • this forms the adjacent headlands Ness Point (North) and Ravenscar (South)
• What landform is found at Robin Hood's Bay?


  • shore platform!

  • high energy waves lead to cliffs retreating, forming shore platform

  • slopes at about 1 degree typically but ramped section can be 15 degrees

  • 500m wide but extends further into offshore zone
• What is the geology of Flamborough Head?

  • large, chalk headland- very strong due to tightly bonded particles

  • the cliffs are topped with glacial till, a deposit left from glaciers
• What is the height of Flamborough Head?

  • about 20-30m high with overlying glacial till lowered by mass movement to an angle of about 40 degrees
• What else has formed next to Flamborough Head?

  deep bays from erosion of weaker clay
• How has Filey Bay formed?


  • sediment movement has been interrupted by headlands, so sand and shingle accumulate to form beaches in bays
• What is the geology of Filey Bay?


  it has developed in weak Kimmeridge clay surrounded by headlands of limestone and chalk
• What landforms are found at Selwick's Bay?


  1. caves and arches- major joints have been enlarged as wave refraction leads to wave energy being concentrated on headlands

  2. stacks- Green Stacks Pinnacle formed after collapse of arch roof due to weathering

  3. blowholes- several blowholes have merged and the chalk has collapsed to form a complex inlet
• How many geos have formed along the coastline?

  over 50, mostly facing the dominant wave direction
• Where have blowholes formed?

  where major joints in the chalk have been enlarged
• Why are there few well-developed beaches?


  • high energy waves remove sediment before it can accumulate

  • sand and shingle accumulate slowly due to low input from rivers (usually input 90% of sediment), and slow rates of erosion of resistant rock
• What has led to the formation of headlands and bays?

  discordant coastline- variation in rock type
• How does wind/waves influence the formation of these landforms?


  • waves have fetch over 1500km from North/NW

  • Saltburn is North-facing, so receives highest wave energy input- high erosion rates lead to stepped cliff profile and large amounts of sediment available here

  • wave height exceeded 4m in 2010 and 2011 at Whitby

  • wave erosion forms majority of landforms

  • wave refraction on headlands leads to caves, arches, geos etc

  • high energy waves remove sediment faster than it can accumulate, so few well-developed beaches
• How has geology influenced formation of these landforms?


  • cliffs between Saltburn and Robin Hood's Bay have varied horizontal layers of geology- steep slope segments made of resistant sandstone and limestone and gentler slopes from weaker shales and clays, lowered by mass movement

  • discordant coastline led to headland and bay patterns- RH's Bay in shale next to sandstone, Flamborough Head of resistant chalk, Filey Bay in Kimmeridge Clay next to limestone and chalk

  • many major joints eroded and enlarged to form over 50 geos, cave at Selwick's Bay
• How has sediment influenced formation of these landforms?


  • River Esk supplies limited sediment due to weirs and reinforced banks- rivers usually supply 90% of coastal sediment

  • sediment movement interrupted by headlands, so sand and shingle accumulate in bays to form narrow beaches

  • few well-developed beaches-sediment is removed by high energy wave erosion faster than it can accumulate- sand and shingle accumulate slowly due to low input from rivers and slow rates of erosion

  • clay eroded may flocculate and sink to sea floor
• How are Ravenscar/Ness Point and RH's Bay interrelated?

  • wave refraction occurs and wave diffract, lose energy and deposit sediment, building up the beach

  • erosion of headland is a sediment source for bay
• How are the shale cliffs at RH's Bay and the shore platform interrelated?


  • cliff has retreated to form shore platform

  • friction on the platform slows down waves and erosion rates are slowed
• How are Green Stacks Pinnacle and Flamborough Head interrelated?

  wave refraction leads to erosion of major chalk joints
• What are examples of day-to-day weather changes affecting the coastline?


  rainwater leads to ground becoming saturated- slumping of cliffs

  example: Holbeck Hall in Scarborough in 2003, lost 60m of cliff overnight
• What are examples of seasonal changes affecting this coastline?


  • alternation between constructive and destructive waves- deposition and erosion rates vary- beaches change size and gradient

  • change in prevailing wind direction affects speed of longshore drift- beaches change in size and gradient

  • storm conditions- rapidly remove sand and cliffs eroded and saturation of soft rock leads to slumping

  example: since 1790, 200 cottages have been lost to erosion of Robin Hood's Bay
• What are examples of changes over years that affect this coastline?


  • new arches, stacks, geos etc formed- marine erosion and weathering

  example: Selwick's Bay

  • retreat of cliffs and growth of shore platforms- marine erosion and weathering of cliff face until rockfall (seconds)

  example: Robin Hood's Bay
• How has management of the River Esk changed this coastline over time?


  weirs and reinforced banks led to reduction of sediment supply
• How might this coastline change in the future?

  • climate change leading to more storm events- more slumping and higher wave energy

  • coastal protection by local governments- altering natural landforms