1
4 marks
Outline how groynes are used to manage coastal erosion.
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Coastal Management (AQA A Level Geography): Exam Questions
Exam code: 7037
2 hours13 questions
2
4 marks
Describe how beach nourishment is used to manage the coast.
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3
4 marks
Outline the differences between hard and soft engineering at the coast.
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4
4 marks
Explain what is meant by managed retreat.
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5
4 marks
Outline the aims of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).
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1
9 marks
Using Figure 1 and your own knowledge, to what extent can hard engineering successfully manage coastal erosion?
Figure 1: Shoreline Management Plan 2 (SMP2) policy zones and existing defences, Holderness coast, East Yorkshire, 2010–2025
Coastal section | SMP2 policy | Existing defences | Key assets at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Flamborough Head to Bridlington | Hold the line | Seawall, groynes | Bridlington town, harbour |
Barmston to Mappleton | Hold the line (limited) | Rock armour, groynes (Mappleton, 1991) | Mappleton village, B1242 road |
Mappleton to Skipsea | No Active Intervention (NAI) | None | Farmland, isolated rural properties |
Skipsea to Hornsea | No Active Intervention (NAI) | None | Agricultural land, dwellings |
Hornsea to Withernsea | Hold the line | Seawall | Hornsea and Withernsea towns |
Withernsea to Spurn Head | No Active Intervention (NAI) | None | Marshland, Spurn Head NNR |
Source: adapted from East Riding of Yorkshire Council Shoreline Management Plan 2 (SMP2), 2010. NAI = No Active Intervention; cost-benefit threshold for hard engineering approximately £1 million per metre of coast defended.
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2
6 marks
Figure 6 shows some challenges facing West Africa's coastal resources.
Using Figure 6 and your own knowledge, assess potential approaches to managing this coastal region.
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3
6 marks
Figure 6a shows a photograph of mangrove taken above and below the water line. Figure 6b shows the major benefits of mangrove for people. Figure 6c shows the proportion of protected and unprotected mangrove in the ten largest nations with mangrove forests.
Using Figures 6a, 6b, 6c and your own knowledge, assess the sustainability of mangrove forests in coastal management.
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4
6 marks
Study Figure 1, which shows the approximate costs and lifespan of selected coastal management techniques.
Figure 1 — Approximate costs and lifespan of selected coastal management techniques
Technique | Capital cost (£ per metre) | Lifespan (years) | Annual maintenance (£ per metre) |
|---|---|---|---|
Sea wall | 6,000 | 50 | 250 |
Rock armour | 2,000 | 40 | 100 |
Groynes | 1,500 | 30 | 120 |
Beach nourishment | 500 | 5 | 200 |
Managed realignment | 1,800 | 100+ | 20 |
Using Figure 1, analyse the data on the costs and lifespan of coastal management techniques.
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5
6 marks
Study Figure 2, which shows information about the Medmerry managed realignment scheme in West Sussex.
Figure 2 — The Medmerry managed realignment scheme, West Sussex (completed 2013)
Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
Cost | £28 million |
Old defence | Low shingle bank, repeatedly overtopped in storms |
Action | 7 km earth embankment built around 1 km inland; old bank breached |
Land change | Around 183 hectares of farmland were converted to intertidal habitat |
Homes protected | 350+ homes and a major sewage works |
Habitat | Salt marshes, mudflats and lagoons, managed by the RSPB |
Using Figure 2 and your own knowledge, assess the benefits of managed realignment as an approach to coastal management.
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1
20 marks
‘No amount of coastal intervention by people can halt the natural processes which continue to present potentially serious risks to coastal communities now and even more so in the future.’
To what extent do you agree with this view?
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2
20 marks
‘Shoreline management/integrated coastal zone management can effectively tackle the expected eustatic sea level change and associated threat to coastal landscapes over the coming decades.’
To what extent do you agree with this view?
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3
20 marks
'Hard engineering is no longer an appropriate response to coastal erosion.'
To what extent do you agree?
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