Why is Happisburgh Wearing Away...
Happisburgh used to be a great family place to go in the summer, but as it is wearing in to the sea.
The tourists are leaving and only coming back to take photos of houses that are falling in to the sea, and brick and parts of houses that are scattered along the lovely beach that it has to offer.
Happisburgh is going and is going fast...
So why is Happisburgh going
Well there are three coastal processes that happen at the beach they are...
Well...
There are four main reasons as to why Happisburgh is wearing away...
The tourists are leaving and only coming back to take photos of houses that are falling in to the sea, and brick and parts of houses that are scattered along the lovely beach that it has to offer.
Happisburgh is going and is going fast...
So why is Happisburgh going
Well there are three coastal processes that happen at the beach they are...
- Erosion - The wearing away of beach of cliffs.
- Transportation - The movement of eroded materials.
- and Deposition - When the transported, eroded material settles.
Well...
There are four main reasons as to why Happisburgh is wearing away...
- The main reason is THE TYPE OF MATERIAL THE CLIFFS ARE MADE FROM,
- EROSION
- LONG-SHORE DRIFT,
- Last but not least THE GOVERNMENT/COUNCILS
1. The type of material the cliffs are made from...
so how does it play a part...
Diagram of how a land-slide is caused because of the type of rock.
(open photo)
Well cliffs can be made of lots of different materials such as...
SOFT ROCKS...
HARD ROCKS...
The cliffs at Happisburgh are made from two types of rock
Sand and Clay, and this is where the problems start...
Sand is permeable and Clay is impermeable.
As the photo on the right shows when it rains the sand just absorbs the rain but as the rain hit the clay, as clay is impermeable, it just sits there. This means that it builds up and up and up till the cliff becomes so unstable that it causes a land slide and then the hole process starts again...
So there is one reason as to why Happisburgh is wearing away... Because the cliffs are sliding away. This is making the cliffs retreat... ...Making them get smaller and smaller.
- Sand
- Clay
- Shells and gravel
- Limestone
- Chalk
- Granite or balsalt
- Mud
SOFT ROCKS...
- Sand
- Clay
- Chalk
- Mud
HARD ROCKS...
- Shells and Gravel
- Limestone
- Granite or Balsalt
The cliffs at Happisburgh are made from two types of rock
Sand and Clay, and this is where the problems start...
Sand is permeable and Clay is impermeable.
As the photo on the right shows when it rains the sand just absorbs the rain but as the rain hit the clay, as clay is impermeable, it just sits there. This means that it builds up and up and up till the cliff becomes so unstable that it causes a land slide and then the hole process starts again...
So there is one reason as to why Happisburgh is wearing away... Because the cliffs are sliding away. This is making the cliffs retreat... ...Making them get smaller and smaller.
2. Erosion... ...How does this affect Happisburgh???
Diagram of cliff erosion. (please open picture full)
Well there are four types of erosion.
There are lots of different outcomes to erosion but it takes time... Here's a time line showing the order of process of one outcome of erosion, a stump. ((definition) (How they are formed))
So you know how erosion can play a part...
but keep going and you'll find what else erosion can do...
- Abrasion (corrasion) -This process by which the coast is worn down by material carried by the waves. BUT HOW... Well the waves throw the particles from the transported materials into rocks, sometimes at high vorticity. Breaking down the rock, so breaking down the beaches barriers.
- Corrosion (solution) - This is a chemical process... ...By in which the salt in the sea acts as like an acid, and slowly dissolves the rocks/cliffs. Limestone and chalk cliffs or rock are particularly prone to this.
- Attrition - This is where material such as stone and pebbles bump or rub against each other, and in this process they smooth and break down in to small particles.
- Hydraulic Action - This is where sea water enters cracks and nooks in the cliff face, This pushes air deeper and deeper... ...This forces the crack bigger and bigger till it breaks a part.
There are lots of different outcomes to erosion but it takes time... Here's a time line showing the order of process of one outcome of erosion, a stump. ((definition) (How they are formed))
- A Crack - A line along which something has split without breaking into separate parts. When waves attack any small cracks or tiny gaps at the base of a headland/cliffs, erosion in the form of Hydraulic Action.
- A Cave - A large chamber, typically of natural origin, in a hillside or cliff. Erosion ( In the form of abrasion, hydraulic action and corrosion) widens the crack till it makes a cave.
- A Arch - A curved structure that if fully open and supporting a weight above it. Continuing the erosion, the cave widens and deepens till it goes all the way through the headland/cliff and creating an arch.
- A Stack - A stack is a land-form consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, made by erosion. The arch gets higher and wider until the roof collapses leaving a stack.
- Last but not least - A Stump - The stump is the remains of the stack after erosion makes it collapse, leaving a stump. A Stump is formed after the stack. When the sea starts to eroded the stack, it weakens it till it falls and leaves a stump.
So you know how erosion can play a part...
but keep going and you'll find what else erosion can do...
Process 2 - How a wave cut notch is made... This is Also caused by Erosion.
A wave cut Notch Diagram Below...
A diagram of how a wave cut notch is formed ( please open full by clicking to b able to read and see in full)
There six steps to make a wave cut Notch...
- There is a cliff made of hard rock.
- The waves hit the bottom of the cliff.
- The waves wear away the bottom the cliff.
- The sea wears away bits of fallen rock before continuing to eroded the cliff.
- After a long time the wave wear away a huge bit of cliff. What is left called a Notch.
- last but not least... ... The top of the cliff- know as the notch - has nothing supporting it so it collapses in to the sea and the hole process starts again.
So that was another way of erosion plays a part... ... Because it makes the cliffs smaller and smaller. So it plays a part towards Happisburgh.
3. Long-shore Drift... So how does this mean...
A diagram of longshore drift (open fully)
LONG-SHORE DRIFT (LSD) - It's the zig-zag of material along the beach caused by the swash and backwash of the sea.
Long-shore drift depends on lots of different thing such as...
The prevailing winds decide the direction of Long-shore drift...
The waves approach the coastline at an angle, when they break their swash pushes beach material up the beach still at an angle. The backwash then drags the material down the beach at a 90º angle or straight down. This produces a zig-zag movement of sediment along the beach known as long-shore drift. This is bad because this means the beach get worn away because the sediment/sand is transported down the beach, making the beach get worn down, making it easier for the waves to attack the cliffs.
So you now know how long-shore drift plays a part,
But keep going and you'll find what else long-shore drift can do...
Long-shore drift depends on lots of different thing such as...
- Swash - Swash is the wave coming up the beach by wind.
- Backwash - Backwash is the wave going back down the beach caused by gravity.
- Prevailing winds - A wind from the direction that is most usual at a particular place or season.
The prevailing winds decide the direction of Long-shore drift...
The waves approach the coastline at an angle, when they break their swash pushes beach material up the beach still at an angle. The backwash then drags the material down the beach at a 90º angle or straight down. This produces a zig-zag movement of sediment along the beach known as long-shore drift. This is bad because this means the beach get worn away because the sediment/sand is transported down the beach, making the beach get worn down, making it easier for the waves to attack the cliffs.
So you now know how long-shore drift plays a part,
But keep going and you'll find what else long-shore drift can do...
However long-shore drift does not only go back and forth... ...It can create land forms known as SPITS...
Diagram of how a spit is made (please open picture)
SPIT - A spit is an extension of beach or land out to sea joined at the land at one end.
SO HOW IS A SPIT MADE???...
SO HOW IS A SPIT MADE???...
- Long-shore drift moves material along the coastline.
- A spit forms when the material is deposited.
- Over time, the spit grows and develops a hook if wind direction changes further out.
- Waves cannot get past a spit, which creates a sheltered area where silt is deposited and mud flats or salt marshes form.
OR... ... This might be a bit easier...
A diagram of how a spit forms (open picture)
There are seven stages to form at spit...
So that is what else long-shore drift can do...
So long-shore drift plays a part because it wears away the beach making it easier to wear away the cliffs.
- There is a bend in the main coastline.
- Long-shore drift moves material along the coast due to the direction of the wind.
- Long-shore drift continues to happen in the same direction. This forms the beginning of a spit.
- Long-shore drift continues making the spit longer and longer.
- Salt marsh starts to develop as mud is deposited in the sheltered water behind the spit.
- The salt marsh grows in size and this helps to make the spit a lot stronger.
- Some spits can start to create hooks this is because of a change in wind direction.
So that is what else long-shore drift can do...
So long-shore drift plays a part because it wears away the beach making it easier to wear away the cliffs.
4. The Government / Councils... ...How do they play a part???
Photo explaining how the
governments/Councils
make it worse. (open photo)
Government -
These people decide where houses are built, and they have decided to build on the cliffs of Happisburgh... ...'What does this mean' It means... The cliffs at Happisburgh are prone to land slides and are unstable for that amount of weight. Yet they still build on them knowing this, not helping the Happisburgh at all...In the photo (to the right.) the bottom photo, you can see the beginning results of this, The two tall houses towards the right garden's have started to fall...
So now you know the reason as to why the governments and councils play a part towards Happisburgh's problem.
So now you know about the last and final thing concerning Happisburgh... ...So I hope this has has help you to understand the problems facing Happisburgh if you continue through the site you'll find out more about ways the government or councils could do to help Happisburgh...
- The governing body of a nation, state, or community.
- The system by which a nation, state, or community is governed.
- An advisory, deliberative, or legislative body of people formally constituted and meeting regularly.
- A body of people elected to manage the affairs of a city, county, or other municipal district.
These people decide where houses are built, and they have decided to build on the cliffs of Happisburgh... ...'What does this mean' It means... The cliffs at Happisburgh are prone to land slides and are unstable for that amount of weight. Yet they still build on them knowing this, not helping the Happisburgh at all...In the photo (to the right.) the bottom photo, you can see the beginning results of this, The two tall houses towards the right garden's have started to fall...
So now you know the reason as to why the governments and councils play a part towards Happisburgh's problem.
So now you know about the last and final thing concerning Happisburgh... ...So I hope this has has help you to understand the problems facing Happisburgh if you continue through the site you'll find out more about ways the government or councils could do to help Happisburgh...