How fast is the Withernsea coast eroding?

Before 2018, land south of Withernsea eroded between 3m and 3.7m per year, but since the 2018 storms known as the “Beast from the East” battered beaches, that rate has jumped up to 6.11m per year, according to East Riding of Yorkshire Council. That has led to some close calls.

What happened at Mappleton?

Steps taken to protect the village of Mappleton In 1991, the decision was taken to protect Mappleton. Mappleton and the cliffs are no longer at great risk from erosion. The rock groynes have stopped beach material being moved south from Mappleton along the coast. However, this has increased erosion south of Mappleton.

How is the town of Mappleton protected from coastal erosion?

In order to protect the cliffs along the front of Mappleton from undercutting, their gradient was also reduced artificially. Vegetation was planted on the cliffs to further stabilise them from mass movement. This is known as cliff stabilisation.

What is the average rate of erosion in the town of Mappleton?

Mappleton. Situated approximately 3km south of Hornsea lies the village of Mappleton. Supporting approximately 50 properties, the village has been subject to intense erosion at a rate of 2.0m per year, resulting in the access road being only 50m from the cliff edge at its closest point.

What sea Defences are at Withernsea?

The seafront at Withernsea is protected by hard engineering solutions such as groynes, concrete seawalls and rock armour.

• Seawall, rock armour and groynes at Withernsea.
• The whole of the defended frontage benefits from a groyne field which traps sand and has formed wide beaches.

Which physical process generally causes beach erosion?

Coastal erosion may be caused by hydraulic action, abrasion, impact and corrosion by wind and water, and other forces, natural or unnatural. On non-rocky coasts, coastal erosion results in rock formations in areas where the coastline contains rock layers or fracture zones with varying resistance to erosion.

Is mappleton beach safe?

Mappleton is a former MoD bombing range and as such there are signs warning of old armaments and the danger of picking up metal objects. However, this doesn’t stop people enjoying the vast wide open spaces at low tide. The Holderness coastline is home to the fastest eroding cliffs in Europe so steer clear of them!

How much has the Holderness coast eroded?

The Holderness Coast is one of Europe’s fastest eroding coastlines. The average annual rate of erosion is around 2 metres per year. This is around 2 million tonnes of material every year. Under lying the Holderness Coast is bedrock made up of Cretaceous Chalk.

What is a groyne in beach terms?

A groyne is a shore protection structure built perpendicular to the shoreline of the coast (or river), over the beach and into the shoreface (the area between the nearshore region and the inner continental shelf), to reduce longshore drift and trap sediments.

What land is withernsea built on?

boulder clay
Withernsea lies upon boulder clay. This material was deposited by glaciers during the last ice age 18,000 years ago.

What is the best solution for beach erosion?

Present beach erosion prevention methods include sand dunes, vegetation, seawalls, sandbags, and sand fences. Based on the research conducted, it is evident that new ways to prevent erosion must be obtained. Each way that is currently used has extensive negative effects on beaches and their natural tendencies.

Is there coastal erosion in Mappleton East Yorkshire?

In August 2015 images of coastal erosion at Mappleton, East Yorkshire, featured on news programmes local to the area. Erosion at Mapppleton is no surprise, after all it is located on one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe.

Why are there cracks on the cliff top in Mappleton?

However, the cracks that were being reported during summer 2015 appeared along the cliff top, close to the public car park. This was an area thought to be protected by granite rock armour. The video below shows footage of the area affected by coastal erosion and was recorded in August 2015.

Where is Mappleton on the Holderness coast?

Located on the Holderness Coast, Mappleton is an example of the positive and negative impacts of coastal management. Situated approximately 3km south of Hornsea lies the village of Mappleton.

Where is the village of Mappleton south of Hornsea?

Situated approximately 3km south of Hornsea lies the village of Mappleton. Supporting approximately 50 properties, the village has been subject to intense erosion at a rate of 2.0m per year, resulting in the access road being only 50m from the cliff edge at its closest point.