Unit 8 - Page 254 - 256

What is the primary goal of coastal defence?

• To allow natural erosion

• To prevent or manage coastal erosion and flooding

• To increase sediment deposition

• To remove vegetation from coastal areas

Answer explanation

Answer: (b) To prevent or manage coastal erosion and flooding
Explanation: Coastal defence is all about protecting land, buildings, and people from erosion (land wearing away) and flooding.
Example: In the UK, places like Norfolk use seawalls and groynes to stop beaches from disappearing.

What is a key characteristic of hard engineering strategies?

• They work with natural processes

• They are always environmentally friendly

• They involve artificial structures to resist coastal forces

• They allow controlled flooding

Answer explanation

Answer: (c) They involve artificial structures to resist coastal forces
Explanation: Hard engineering means building strong structures to stop waves from washing away the coast.
Example: A seawall in Brighton protects the city from big waves.

Which of the following is an example of hard engineering?

• Beach nourishment

• Managed retreat

• Groynes

• Sand dune stabilization

Answer explanation

Answer: (c) Groynes
Explanation: Groynes are barriers placed along the beach to trap sand and stop it from being carried away by waves.
Example: Wooden groynes are used in Bournemouth, UK, to keep the beach wide.

How do groynes help in coastal defence?

• By allowing longshore drift to remove sand

• By trapping sediment moving along the coast

• By absorbing wave energy offshore

• By increasing wave action

Answer explanation

Answer: (b) By trapping sediment moving along the coast
Explanation: Waves carry sand along the shore in a process called longshore drift. Groynes stop this movement and keep the beach in place.
Example: Without groynes, places like Eastbourne, UK, would lose their beaches.

What is the main disadvantage of groynes?

• They are expensive to maintain

• They prevent wave energy from reaching the shore

• They can cause erosion further down the coast

• They promote flooding

Answer explanation

Answer: (c) They can cause erosion further down the coast
Explanation: By trapping sand, groynes prevent nearby areas from getting new sand, which makes erosion worse elsewhere.
Example: Some parts of the Norfolk coast eroded faster because of groynes stopping sediment from reaching them.

Which of the following is a method of soft engineering?

• Seawalls

• Groynes

• Managed retreat

• Rock armor

Answer explanation

Answer: (c) Managed retreat
Explanation: Soft engineering lets nature shape the coast naturally instead of blocking waves with structures.
Example: In Essex, UK, some farmland was intentionally flooded to create new salt marshes.

Why is managed retreat considered a sustainable coastal management strategy?

• It involves constructing large barriers

• It allows natural processes to take place

• It stops erosion permanently

• It prevents coastal flooding entirely

Answer explanation

Answer: (b) It allows natural processes to take place
Explanation: Managed retreat accepts that erosion will happen but lets nature create new habitats instead of fighting against it.
Example: In Sussex, areas have been allowed to flood to create wetlands that protect against future storms.

What is the main disadvantage of managed retreat?

• It is too expensive

• It leads to loss of land and infrastructure

• It does not work in any coastal environment

• It increases erosion

Answer explanation

Answer: (b) It leads to loss of land and infrastructure
Explanation: Since managed retreat allows the sea to flood the land, towns, roads, and farmland can be lost.
Example: In Medmerry, UK, farmers lost land when the sea was allowed to flood a large area.

Which type of coastal management relies on the construction of artificial structures?

• Soft engineering

• Hard engineering

• Managed retreat

• Beach nourishment

Answer explanation

Answer: (b) Hard engineering
Explanation: Hard engineering means building things like walls and barriers to protect the coast from erosion.
Example: Concrete seawalls in Blackpool stop waves from reaching the town.

What is the primary function of seawalls?

• To trap sediment along the shore

• To provide habitats for marine life

• To reflect wave energy and prevent erosion

• To allow controlled flooding

Answer explanation

Answer: (c) To reflect wave energy and prevent erosion
Explanation: Seawalls are built to push waves away so they don’t damage the land behind them.
Example: The Brighton seawall protects buildings along the seafront.