Coasts - Holderness

Question 1

Where is the Holderness coastline located?

Answer 1

Eastern coast of England

Question 2

What is the Humber Estuary classified as?

Answer 2

An SSSI

Question 3

What rock type makes up most of the Holderness coastline?

Answer 3

Boulder clay

Question 4

Is boulder clay hard or soft rock?

Answer 4

Soft rock

Question 5

What rock type is Flamborough Head?

Answer 5

Chalk

Question 6

What erosional features are present at Flamborough Head?

Answer 6

• Caves
• Arches
• Stacks

Question 7

Is chalk hard or soft rock?

Answer 7

Hard rock

Question 8

Where does the boulder clay material that is eroded along the Holderness Coast get deposited?

Answer 8

Spurn Point

Question 9

How does the sediment eroded at the Holderness coast get transported to Spurn Point.

Answer 9

Longshore drift

Question 10

What type of landform is Spurn Point?

Answer 10

Spit

Question 11

Where is the Humber Estuary?

Answer 11

Behind Spurn Point

Question 12

Why is Spurn Point a recurved spit?

Answer 12

Due to the Humber Estuary behind it.

Question 13

Why is the Humber Estuary so important?

Answer 13

• SSSI
• Promotes biodiversity due to presence of mudflats, saltmarshes and bird species.
• 14% of all UK International trade passes through.
• Diverse range of industries present (gas terminals, power stations etc…).

Question 14

What towns along the Holderness coastline are at risk due to erosion?

Answer 14

Bridlington
Hornsea
Mappleton
Withernsea
Kilnsea

Question 15

How did the geology of the Holderness Coastline develop as a result of glacial change?

Answer 15

Before glaciation, the coastline began at the chalk layer of rock. Glaciation resulted in ice sheets depositing boulder clay in front of the chalk.

Question 16

What type of coastline is the Holderness coastline?

Answer 16

Discordant

Question 17

Why is the rate of erosion of the Holderness coastline so high?

Answer 17

• Boulder clay is a soft rock type.
• Very long fetch results in stronger waves forming over the North Sea, typically destructive.
• Climate change increasing storm frequency.
• Strong movement of sediment due to longshore drift.
• Narrow beach along the coast means that the cliff base is regularly eroded.

Question 18

What do the boulder clay cliffs suffer from when saturated?

Answer 18

Increased runoff leading to slumping

Question 19

What human factors play a part along the Holderness coastline?

Answer 19

• Presence of people turns the processes into hazards.
• Interference with longshore drift due to groynes.
• Global warming.

Question 20

Hard engineering techniques used at Mappleton:

Answer 20

• Groynes

Question 21

Hard engineering techniques used at Withernsea:

Answer 21

• Sea walls
• Groynes
• Rock armour

Question 22

Soft engineering techniques used at Mappleton:

Answer 22

• Cliff regrading
• Beach nourishment

Question 23

What management technique has been implemented at Spurn Point?

Answer 23

Retreat

Question 24

When was Spurn Point officially abandoned?

Answer 24

1995

Question 25

Evaluation of retreat technique at Spurn Point:

Answer 25

- No practical solution, so saving annual costs. - Concerns of loss of community, lifeboat and coastguard station. - Environmental impacts (bird species are losing a habitat).

Question 26

Hard engineering techniques used at Hornsea:

Answer 26

- Sea walls - Groynes

Question 27

Soft engineering techniques used at Hornsea:

Answer 27

- Beach nourishment

Question 28

What are the 2 main holiday resorts on the Holderness Coastline?

Answer 28

- Withernsea - Hornsea

Question 29

What are the advantages of Hornsea's coastal management plan?

Answer 29

- Groynes are locally effective and have benefited tourism by protecting beaches. - Groynes are cheap and acceptable visually.

Question 30

What are the disadvantages of Hornsea's coastal management plan?

Answer 30

- Maintainance of groynes is continual. - Areas down the coast (e.g Mappleton) are starved of sediment. - Sea walls are expensive.

Question 31

What are the advantages of Mappleton's coastal management plan?

Answer 31

- Cliff regrading is the only practical solution for clay cliffs. - Groynes are cheap.

Question 32

What are the disadvantages of Mappleton's coastal management plan?

Answer 32

- Evidence showing that the management scheme has been unsuccessful: the cliffs from 2002 were showing early signs of slumping. - Groynes are causing erosion down the coast. The cliff face supporting the car park is at risk of collapse.

Question 33

What are the advantages of Withernsea's coastal management plan?

Answer 33

- Successful implementation of 'hold the line' technique, saving seasonal jobs at the resort and calming residents. - Groynes are cheap.

Question 34

What are the disadvantages of Withernsea's coastal management plan?

Answer 34

- Sea wall is very expensive, limiting its length. - Wave noise becoming an issue due to rock armour. - Access issues to the beach due to rock armour.