Cliffs are made of soft boulder clay, left from the ice age. The clay easily becomes saturated making the cliffs prone to slumping.
The waves travel from the north east, meaning they have a long fetch, so are more powerful and cause more erosion.
Rates of Longshore drift are very fast, meaning beaches cannot build up. This means the waves nearly always directlyhit the cliff at high tide.
Hydraulic action and abrasion cause wave-cut notches to form. This causes rapid cliff retreat as the unsupported overhang collapses quickly.
Hard Engineering strategies such as the groynes in Mappleton have worsened erosion further down the coast, eg. in Great Cowden
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Effects on Holderness
The coastline today is around 4km inland from where it was in Roman times
Over 30 villages have been lost to the sea
About 1.8 metres is being eroded each year (in Great Cowden it is about 10m per year)
Economic Impacts
80,000 metres squared of farmland is lost each year.
Gas terminal at Easinton is only 25m from cliff edge. It cuurently provides 25% of Britain's gas supply
Seaside Caravan Park at Ulrome loses 10 pitches a year
Property prices in the area have fallen dramatically
B1242 has been damaged
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Effects pt2
Social Impacts
Homes in Skipsea are at risk of falling into the sea
People cannot sell their houses or get insurance
Accessibilty has been altered eg. Southfield Lane between Skipsea and Ulrome has been closed
Environmental Impacts
SSSIs are threatened eg The Lagoons near Easington, which are separated from sea by a narrow ***** of sand and shingle- contributes to a loss of habitats and tourism
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