Unit 2 Case Studies

Costal Landscapes

Swanage Bay

A coastal town in the south east of Dorset, south coast of England. The bay is made of Greensand and Wealden beds (soft rocks) so constant costal protection is needed.

Management Methods:

Hard Engineering:

·         Sea Wall – A wall built on the edge of the coast. Adsorbs wave energy, and reflects it back into the sea.

·         Groynes – Timber planks perpendicular to coast. Stops longshore drift, and maintains beach, so that is can absorb wave energy.

Soft Engineering:

·         Beach Replenishment – Adds sand to maintain beach. Roughly 40000m3 needed every 20 years.

·         Cliff re-grading – A series of steps…