Geography Coasts

• Geology is the type of rock a cliff is made off
• Lithology is the structure of a rock (folds, joints, faults,)
• Joints are fractures in the rock which increases erosion as more crack can be exploited by weathering
• Folds are formed during tectonic activity which makes rocks buckle and crimple increasing erosion as more fissures can be exploited by erosional and subaerial processes.
• Faults are formed when stress and pressure exceeds the rocks internal strength which can increase erosion
• Cyclone Sidr 2007: 40% of the population in Bangladesh live less than 10 meters above sea level increasing the risk of flooding.
• Cyclone Sidr: Bangladesh is the worlds most densely populated country.
• Cyclone Sidr: Majority of the population live around coastal areas.
• Cyclone Sidr: 90% of the population is in poverty and the population is growing rapidly.
• Cyclone Sidr: 71% of Bangladesh's mangroves are retreating by 200 metres per year.

  The removal of the coasts natural protection causes sea levels to rise leading to more erosion
• Cyclone Sidr: During the 1960's and 1970's earth embankments were built around estuarine islands (near the coats) to protect against flooding but they were burst during the flood and prevented deposition of natural sediment which maintained the islands height.
• Cyclone Sidr: Brought a storm surge 6 metres high with 223km/hr winds.
• Cyclone Sidr: Around 3300 people died.
• Cyclone Sidr: The storm surge caused $1.7 billion of damage.
• Cyclone Sidr: Around 1,500,000 houses were damaged
• Cyclone Sidr: Around 8075 Km of road was damaged.
• Cyclone Sidr: Around 703km of electricity lines were damaged.
• Storm Desmond 2013: Storm surge 2 metres high crashed into the UK and Netherlands coasts
• Storm Desmond: GDP per capita in the UK is $46,500
• Storm Desmond: GDP per capita in the Netherlands is $57,000
• Storm Desmond: The Netherlands Delta Project is comprised of 13 dams costing $5 billion and completed in 1997.
• Storm Desmond: 307 people died UK and 1800 in the Netherlands.
• Storm Desmond: Caused £100 million of damage and flooded 1400 homes.
• Kiribati: 35 low lying sand and mangrove atolls only 1 metre above sea level
• Kiribati: The islands could disappear in the next 50 years.
• Kiribati: Global warming and thermal expansion have caused sea levels to rise 1.2cm per year
• Kiribati: In 2014 the president purchased 20km2 of land from Fiji to start relocating the population.
• Holderness: Geology of the coast is boulder clay (unconsolidated rock) which eroded 1-6 metres per year
• Holderness: High energy coastline- Strong winds and more intense winter storms from the North Sea bring destructive waves which causes more erosion.
• Holderness: 29 villages have fallen into the sea since Roman times due to coastal recession of 4km.
• Holderness: The coastline has retreated 120 metres inland in the last 100 years
• Holderness: 80,000 m2 of farmland is lost each year.
• Holderness: The Gas Terminal in Easington supplies around 20% of Britain's gas is at risk
• Holderness: Spurn Point is a designated national nature reserve which depends on the mudflats, saltmarsh, and sand dune habitats.

  As a result in 1995 the local council stopped trying to protect it from erosion and now it is under increasing pressure and losing diversity.
• Holderness: Properties under threat of erosion lose their value, leaving owners with negative equity as they can not sell their home and move because it is unsafe.
• Holderness: Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is carried out before coastal management project is given the go ahead They evaluate the cost of the management strategy and compare it with the value of land saved.
• Holderness: The lagoons close to Easington are also home to over 1% of British breeding population of little tern (rare species).
• Holderness: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is designed to assess the likely environmental impacts of new defences on the environment.
• Holderness: In 2002 the East Riding of Yorkshire Council developed their ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) policies. It aims to establish sustainable levels of economic and social activity in coastal areas.
• Holderness: ICZM was used to develop the Flamborough Head to Gibraltar Point Shoreline Management Plan.

  • This manages coastal erosion for the next 100 years, assesses potential erosional and flood risks and identifies suitable coastal defence options.