"Coastal areas are dynamic environments that vary in their topography, climate, and organisms. In these areas, continental and oceanic processes converge to produce landscapes that are capable of rapid change." (Edward A., Keller, Duane E., DeVecchio, Natural Hazards, 366). According to a May 2012 note from the British Geological Survey, an estimated 113,000 residential properties, 9000 commercial properties and 5000 acres of agricultural land are within areas at risk of coastal erosion across England and Wales. A value of 7.7 billion euro of potential damage and loss. Specific examples are towns like Hallsands, Devon where 1600 tons of the sand and gravel that made up the beach was removed daily for the extension of the Royal Dockyard. After 7 years an estimated 97% of the former beach volume had been removed, 10 years later a large set of waves 12 meters high hit the shore that ended up destroying the near by town. The village of Happisburgh, Norfolk was once some distance away from the coastline, but because coastal erosion some 250 meters were lost over a 250 year period making it one of the highest coastal erosion rates in the U.K.. Holderness coast, East Riding of Yorkshire is eroding at a rate of 1 to 2 meters a year and ongoing monitoring by the British Geological Survey of the coastline and beaches are undertaken to better understand and aid the effects. "The BGS retains significant erosion datasets for location throughout the UK and possesses the capability to respond to coastal erosion events using a variety of techniques. These include dGPS survey terrestrial LiDAR scanning, in-field digital data capture and sediment analysis as well as desk based examination of historic coastal erosion rates from from resources such as arial photographs and historic maps and other published sources." (The British Geological Survey, UK Geohazard Note, 2012).
Resources
Keller, Edward A., Duane E. DeVecchio, and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016. Print.
The United Kingdom. British Geological Survey. Natural Environment Research Council. UK Geohazard Note. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
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