Human Activity & Coastal Landscapes (Edexcel GCSE Geography B)

Revision Note

Table of Impacts on Coasts

Activity	Impact
Development	Buildings on the coasts increase the weight pressure on cliffs Coastal location increases the demand for housing Buildings and tarmac affect the drainage patterns Tourism leads to increased: Numbers of buildings: hotels, campsites, attractions Pollution as a result of more traffic, litter and waste Income for the local area Jobs
Agriculture	Increased soil erosion Clearance of trees and vegetation can lead to more surface run off and reduced coastal habitats Farmland may be lost due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion
Industry	It is uncommon for the industry to locate directly by the sea so the impact is less than for other activities and tends to be indirect Nuclear power stations such as Sellafield and Hinkley Point are located by the coast Concerns regarding radiation leaks such as at Fukushima in Japan Gas terminals such as Easington in East Yorkshire can be vulnerable to coastal erosion
Coastal Management	Humans manage coasts to reduce erosion and protect development/industry Hard engineering includes groynes, sea walls, rip rap May reduce erosion at the site but may increase it down the coast Are often unattractive causing visual pollution Soft engineering includes beach replenishment, cliff drainage, planting vegetation May reduce erosion Works with the environment

The Holderness Coastline is located on the East Coast of Yorkshire
- From Flamborough Head in the north down to Spurn Head (61km), where it meets the Humber Estuary
It is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe at 2 m per year
The rock type is mainly soft boulder clay
- Easily eroded and vulnerable to slumping
The coastline has naturally narrow beaches, which give less protection as wave power is not reduced
Longshore drift is the dominant process due to North Sea waves
Waves along the coastline have a long fetch, which increases wave energy

The biggest issue of the Holderness coastline is that it is retreating too quickly

Bridlington is protected by a 4.7 km long sea wall
Gabions have been built at Skipsea
Hornsea is a popular tourist destination where the cliffs are formed from soft boulder clay.
It has a number of sea defences including:
- Wooden groynes at a cost of £5.2 m
- Concrete sea wall
- Stone and steel gabion along with a concrete revetment have been built south of Hornsea, helping to protect the caravan park
At Mappleton, riprap at a cost of £2 m, groynes and beach nourishment help to maintain a sandy beach
Withernsea has a sea wall, groynes, riprap and beach nourishment in an effort to widen the beach and so reduce wave energy
2.25% of all UK gas comes through the gas terminal at Easington and £4.5 m was spent on riprap, but the scheme protects the terminal and not the village
Spurn Head is protected with groynes and rock armour

Due to the use of groynes at Mappleton, sediment has been prevented from moving south which has increased erosion at Great Cowden
Erosion has destroyed farms along with the loss of 100 chalets at the Golden Sands Holiday Park
Spurn Head is at risk of losing habitats due to a lack of sediment to maintain the spit

Explain one reason why some coastlines are protected whilst others are not

(4 marks)

Answer

Different areas have different values (1) because they have different land uses and/or functions (1) with industrial areas and/or tourist resorts more densely populated areas so more valuable (1) as opposed to agricultural land and/or lightly populated areas (1)

Last updated: 10 October 2024

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