Crowded coasts - geographical investigations (Paper 2; Question 2)
The coastal zone is one of the most densely populated areas globally because of favourable locational factors, yet it is an area of immense environmental value. This topic explores competing and conflicting land uses, and evaluates the pressures (both physical and human) created by development. It considers how vulnerable and valuable coastlines face a growing physical risk from rapid coastal erosion and coastal flooding. (Adapted from the spec.)
Some general sources of data and information on coasts in the UK are:
Channel Coast Observatory
Anglian Coastal Authorities Group
East Yorkshire Coastal Observatory which has a resources page with links to data, reports and maps.
Dorset Coast Digital Archive, with coastal changes, settlement and management resources pages. There is also a searchable image library with 20,000 images.
Dorset Coast Forum
SCOPAC: an excellent range of maps of much of the south coast, looking at erosion and deposition (SCOPAC = Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline).
2.1 Competition for coasts
Physical environment
It is possible to classify coasts; for example erosional and depositional, or rural and urban coasts - Poole Harbour provides interesting contrasts, with both human and physical issues. The Poole Harbour Commissioners web site contains much useful information, as does SCOPAC.
Check out the SCOPAC site for details on Lyme Regis, Studland or Chesil Beach. You’ll need to read these maps and think about what they are showing. Note that you can print (or save as a pdf) any of these maps. Clicking on the sediment arrows reveals information about that location and a click on the red numbered dots produces a photograph of the location.
Check out these details on Lyme Regis, cliff stabiisiation and also the further links on other ways to defend the coast.
Salt marshes are high ecological value coastal environments in the UK, with good examples at Chichester, Arne (in Poole Harbour) and some general information about salt marshes from the Field Studies Council. Coastal meadows and grasslands pose management problems and one such location is Durlston Country Park in Dorset.
Human environment
People want to use coasts, for industry, transport and recreation. Coastal lowlands often have lower lying land and more equable climates, so agriculture can flourish there too.
For many of us, our key association with the coast is as a place for recreation. These pages describe and explain some of the roots of the British seaside resort. However, the demand for recreation causes conflict and problems, as shown throughout coastal communities in the south west of England.
In Dorset, second homes are an issue, with some parishes having more than 20% second homes. Portland has some problems relating to the 2012 Olympics. Cornwall has experienced specific problems, with some parishes having more than 40% second homes, and house prices being more than ten times the average local wage (see here for details on Purbeck, and here for details on Cornwall).
This summary from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation sheds some light on the second home debate.
Coastal towns often have to cope with large changes in population size and structure over time. Details for Swanage (and here) show that it faces specific problems of natural increase and employment, and that Weymouth (and here) has some very deprived areas, with some areas of Weymouth and Portland among the 20% most deprived in the country in this 2010 publication.
Population growth for selected coastal tows in Dorset can be accessed at Portsmouth University’s Vision of Britain Through Time web site.
You can find details for:
Bournemouth
Christchurch
Poole
Weymouth
Or if you’re feeling lazy, or you don’t have the basic IT skills, here’s an Excel file of similar data for you to chart.
2.2 Coping with the pressure
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a region with conflicting uses, and like many such areas has an aquatic management plan. Given its urban-rural mix, Poole Harbour makes an interesting case study.
Poole & Christchurch Bays Shoreline Management Plan web site allows you to find out about the way in which shorelines are managed.
The SCOPAC map of sediment flows and other transfers for Poole Harbour is here.
Poole Harbour Commissioners’ web site has lots of information on environmental management.
Poole Borough Council has maps of land use for parts of the north shore of Poole Harbour.
[Similar web sites exist for North Norfolk, the North East Coast of England, and Kent.]
Tropical Queensland
Some coastal regions have high environmental or ecological value such as mangroves. The Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency has produced a document on the value, management and conservation of mangroves. Hinchinbrook Island in Queensland is a location of great ecological value with - tropical rainforest and mangroves. Here is a page of resources on the managment plan for Hinchinbrook Island, with more here.
Griffith University has page of links and materials on the Gold Coast region of the Queensland Coast's Shoreline Management Plan. These documents provide some insights into managing this stretch of the Queensland coast.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority web site has masses of information about valuable reefs - their range of facts sheets is excellent. Key to the strategy of the GBRMPA is to manage multiple uses often through zoning. An October 2012 reoprt suggests that the Great Barrier Reef is under severe pressure, with rather alarming rates of destruction.
Some general sources of data and information on coasts in the UK are:
Channel Coast Observatory
Anglian Coastal Authorities Group
East Yorkshire Coastal Observatory which has a resources page with links to data, reports and maps.
Dorset Coast Digital Archive, with coastal changes, settlement and management resources pages. There is also a searchable image library with 20,000 images.
Dorset Coast Forum
SCOPAC: an excellent range of maps of much of the south coast, looking at erosion and deposition (SCOPAC = Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline).
2.1 Competition for coasts
Physical environment
It is possible to classify coasts; for example erosional and depositional, or rural and urban coasts - Poole Harbour provides interesting contrasts, with both human and physical issues. The Poole Harbour Commissioners web site contains much useful information, as does SCOPAC.
Check out the SCOPAC site for details on Lyme Regis, Studland or Chesil Beach. You’ll need to read these maps and think about what they are showing. Note that you can print (or save as a pdf) any of these maps. Clicking on the sediment arrows reveals information about that location and a click on the red numbered dots produces a photograph of the location.
Check out these details on Lyme Regis, cliff stabiisiation and also the further links on other ways to defend the coast.
Salt marshes are high ecological value coastal environments in the UK, with good examples at Chichester, Arne (in Poole Harbour) and some general information about salt marshes from the Field Studies Council. Coastal meadows and grasslands pose management problems and one such location is Durlston Country Park in Dorset.
Human environment
People want to use coasts, for industry, transport and recreation. Coastal lowlands often have lower lying land and more equable climates, so agriculture can flourish there too.
For many of us, our key association with the coast is as a place for recreation. These pages describe and explain some of the roots of the British seaside resort. However, the demand for recreation causes conflict and problems, as shown throughout coastal communities in the south west of England.
In Dorset, second homes are an issue, with some parishes having more than 20% second homes. Portland has some problems relating to the 2012 Olympics. Cornwall has experienced specific problems, with some parishes having more than 40% second homes, and house prices being more than ten times the average local wage (see here for details on Purbeck, and here for details on Cornwall).
This summary from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation sheds some light on the second home debate.
Coastal towns often have to cope with large changes in population size and structure over time. Details for Swanage (and here) show that it faces specific problems of natural increase and employment, and that Weymouth (and here) has some very deprived areas, with some areas of Weymouth and Portland among the 20% most deprived in the country in this 2010 publication.
Population growth for selected coastal tows in Dorset can be accessed at Portsmouth University’s Vision of Britain Through Time web site.
You can find details for:
Bournemouth
Christchurch
Poole
Weymouth
Or if you’re feeling lazy, or you don’t have the basic IT skills, here’s an Excel file of similar data for you to chart.
2.2 Coping with the pressure
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a region with conflicting uses, and like many such areas has an aquatic management plan. Given its urban-rural mix, Poole Harbour makes an interesting case study.
Poole & Christchurch Bays Shoreline Management Plan web site allows you to find out about the way in which shorelines are managed.
The SCOPAC map of sediment flows and other transfers for Poole Harbour is here.
Poole Harbour Commissioners’ web site has lots of information on environmental management.
Poole Borough Council has maps of land use for parts of the north shore of Poole Harbour.
[Similar web sites exist for North Norfolk, the North East Coast of England, and Kent.]
Tropical Queensland
Some coastal regions have high environmental or ecological value such as mangroves. The Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency has produced a document on the value, management and conservation of mangroves. Hinchinbrook Island in Queensland is a location of great ecological value with - tropical rainforest and mangroves. Here is a page of resources on the managment plan for Hinchinbrook Island, with more here.
Griffith University has page of links and materials on the Gold Coast region of the Queensland Coast's Shoreline Management Plan. These documents provide some insights into managing this stretch of the Queensland coast.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority web site has masses of information about valuable reefs - their range of facts sheets is excellent. Key to the strategy of the GBRMPA is to manage multiple uses often through zoning. An October 2012 reoprt suggests that the Great Barrier Reef is under severe pressure, with rather alarming rates of destruction.
Fieldwork and research in section 2.2 looks at:
Weymouth land use zones on Digimap
"Investigating the pressures on the coast when development and conservation meet head on, including:
- the overuse of resources, pollution, and other developments (e.g. tourism, ports)
- the destruction of high value coastal habitats (e.g. salt marsh, reed beds)."
You also need to explore land use zoning in a resort/port and the need for planning control as the available land decreases and rate of development intensifies.
Fieldwork you did included:
- Land use survey in Weymouth (see Digimap to left showing hotels=purple, B&Bs=dark blue, residential areas=orange, food outlets=green, tourist shops=pale blue, shops for locals=yellow). How does this compare with the model in the book?
- Environmental quality survey in Weymouth
- Annotated map to show location of tourist features/attractions, as well as reclaimed land, train station, marina etc.. around Radipole Lake in Weymouth
- Annotated field sketches at Arne Nature Reserve (salt marsh vs urban/oil/ports)
Some good sources of research are:
- The Dorset Explorer is an excellent GIS site for investigating historic maps to chart the growth of Weymouth, and for plotting the location of planning controls such as SSSIs, AONB, Conservation Areas etc..
- The 'Dorset for you' website for details of planning controls
- Jurassic Coast website for information on the management of the coastal world heritage site.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- the overuse of resources, pollution, and other developments (e.g. tourism, ports)
- the destruction of high value coastal habitats (e.g. salt marsh, reed beds)."
You also need to explore land use zoning in a resort/port and the need for planning control as the available land decreases and rate of development intensifies.
Fieldwork you did included:
- Land use survey in Weymouth (see Digimap to left showing hotels=purple, B&Bs=dark blue, residential areas=orange, food outlets=green, tourist shops=pale blue, shops for locals=yellow). How does this compare with the model in the book?
- Environmental quality survey in Weymouth
- Annotated map to show location of tourist features/attractions, as well as reclaimed land, train station, marina etc.. around Radipole Lake in Weymouth
- Annotated field sketches at Arne Nature Reserve (salt marsh vs urban/oil/ports)
Some good sources of research are:
- The Dorset Explorer is an excellent GIS site for investigating historic maps to chart the growth of Weymouth, and for plotting the location of planning controls such as SSSIs, AONB, Conservation Areas etc..
- The 'Dorset for you' website for details of planning controls
- Jurassic Coast website for information on the management of the coastal world heritage site.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.3 Increasing Risks: links for page 239 in the text
East Coast Storm Surge of 1953
The Met Office's details of the 1953 event, and more general information about storm surges. You can compare with the 2007 storm surge event too. The Thames Estuary Partnership’s web site has a page about the storm 1953 surge. The BBC gives a concise account of the causes of the 1953 event. The Royal Society's information on this event is excellent, with some very good pictures.
West Bay, Dorset
Coastal Flooding and its solution in the "port" for Bridport.
Towyn floods, North Wales, 1990
The Towyn floods are dealt with here. Use the drop down boxes to select the info you require. Conwy County Borough Council’s web site has a brief account of the same flood event.
Ache, Indonesia, 2004
For all Tsunami stuff, start at the USGS web page. These pages contain a mass of information, with maps animations and movie files. Tsunami formation is explained clearly, and there is an extensive report of a field visit to Sumatra in January 2005.
The Guardian’s mini-site draws together all of the resources on the 2004 Indian Ocean Asian Tsunami. The BBC has a page with links to all of their resources and reports on the 2004 tsunami.
Samoa and American Samoa Tsunami, September 2009
USGS web site has details here. The BBC has its usual detailed story, picture and links here.
Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Honshu, Japan 2011
This event was very well documented, with lots of video footage - see below and e.g. here and here. Great "stuff" here, from USGS. NOAA has a youtube videos page on aspects of recent tsunamis. The threat of further tsunamis persists.
The Met Office's details of the 1953 event, and more general information about storm surges. You can compare with the 2007 storm surge event too. The Thames Estuary Partnership’s web site has a page about the storm 1953 surge. The BBC gives a concise account of the causes of the 1953 event. The Royal Society's information on this event is excellent, with some very good pictures.
West Bay, Dorset
Coastal Flooding and its solution in the "port" for Bridport.
Towyn floods, North Wales, 1990
The Towyn floods are dealt with here. Use the drop down boxes to select the info you require. Conwy County Borough Council’s web site has a brief account of the same flood event.
Ache, Indonesia, 2004
For all Tsunami stuff, start at the USGS web page. These pages contain a mass of information, with maps animations and movie files. Tsunami formation is explained clearly, and there is an extensive report of a field visit to Sumatra in January 2005.
The Guardian’s mini-site draws together all of the resources on the 2004 Indian Ocean Asian Tsunami. The BBC has a page with links to all of their resources and reports on the 2004 tsunami.
Samoa and American Samoa Tsunami, September 2009
USGS web site has details here. The BBC has its usual detailed story, picture and links here.
Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Honshu, Japan 2011
This event was very well documented, with lots of video footage - see below and e.g. here and here. Great "stuff" here, from USGS. NOAA has a youtube videos page on aspects of recent tsunamis. The threat of further tsunamis persists.
Fieldwork and research in section 2.3 looks at:
East Cliff land lost since 1825
"Investigating the rate of coastal retreat (specifically, the pace and impacts of coastal erosion)."
Fieldwork you did at Lyme Regis included:
- Field sketch of active landslide zone at Black Ven
- Measurement of wave energy and beach width/profile in Lyme Regis
- Questionnaires asking locals/residents their views and experiences
Good sources of research are:
- Dorset for you.com for West Dorset District Council engineers' reports, including figures, photos and maps like the one to the left, showing land lost to landslides in different parts of Lyme Regis since 1825.
- Comparison of old maps and photos (DCDA) with recent ones (OS website).
- Local newspaper websites (e.g. Dorset Echo) for articles on landslides and rates of erosion.
Fieldwork you did at Lyme Regis included:
- Field sketch of active landslide zone at Black Ven
- Measurement of wave energy and beach width/profile in Lyme Regis
- Questionnaires asking locals/residents their views and experiences
Good sources of research are:
- Dorset for you.com for West Dorset District Council engineers' reports, including figures, photos and maps like the one to the left, showing land lost to landslides in different parts of Lyme Regis since 1825.
- Comparison of old maps and photos (DCDA) with recent ones (OS website).
- Local newspaper websites (e.g. Dorset Echo) for articles on landslides and rates of erosion.
2.4 Managing Coasts
How is coastal management adapting to new ideas and situations?
DEFRA guidance on SMPs can be found here.
Information from the Dorset County Council web site on the works at West Bay can be found here and here. This project aimed to manage potential flooding from storm surges and climate change, and to cope with changes in the coastal landscape which would pose a threat to property. A full set of West Bay related downloads can be obtained from the dorsetforyou web site down the right hand side of the page.
In contrast is Highland Councils’ Two Brooms region (see map: Loch Broom and Little Loch Broom). Areas with complex patterns of use e.g. industry and conservation, or commercial shipping and leisure uses, require careful management. Usually Integrated Coastal Zone Management is required to help reach compromise and agreement.
Managed realignment of the coast at Abbots Hall Farm in Essex - an information sheet from the Essex Wildlife Trust and fact sheets on coastal squeeze and managed realignment.
Chapter 22 in your text has a lot of information about techniques and strategies.
______________________
How is coastal management adapting to new ideas and situations?
DEFRA guidance on SMPs can be found here.
Information from the Dorset County Council web site on the works at West Bay can be found here and here. This project aimed to manage potential flooding from storm surges and climate change, and to cope with changes in the coastal landscape which would pose a threat to property. A full set of West Bay related downloads can be obtained from the dorsetforyou web site down the right hand side of the page.
In contrast is Highland Councils’ Two Brooms region (see map: Loch Broom and Little Loch Broom). Areas with complex patterns of use e.g. industry and conservation, or commercial shipping and leisure uses, require careful management. Usually Integrated Coastal Zone Management is required to help reach compromise and agreement.
Managed realignment of the coast at Abbots Hall Farm in Essex - an information sheet from the Essex Wildlife Trust and fact sheets on coastal squeeze and managed realignment.
Chapter 22 in your text has a lot of information about techniques and strategies.
______________________
View to East Cliff and Black Ven, Lyme Regis
Fieldwork and research in section 2.4 looks at:
1. Measuring the success of coastal defence schemes
- How successful have the authorities been in defending Lyme Regis?
- How can you tell?
2. Assessing the value of strategies to manage high value coastal environments.
- Why does Durlston Country Park need to be managed? Is it working?
- How does the management of Arne Nature Reserve differ? Why?
1. Measuring the success of coastal defence schemes
- How successful have the authorities been in defending Lyme Regis?
- How can you tell?
2. Assessing the value of strategies to manage high value coastal environments.
- Why does Durlston Country Park need to be managed? Is it working?
- How does the management of Arne Nature Reserve differ? Why?
