Why Does our Coast Change?

Nothing ever stays the same; all around us our environment is slowly (or in some cases, rapidly) changing. This is an affect of the 'natural' and anthropogenic (human influenced) placed upon it.

The coast is a votatile environment with sea and land interacting with each other. As the sea reaches the land it can acieve one of two things; it can take land (erode) or give land (deposit or acrete). Eather one of these states will overtime affect the coastline that we know.

What affects our coast?
A number of factors affect how or even how much the coast in a particular location changes. In the past this woul;d have been mainly dependant on the geology and landforms in an area, ie the rock type, cliff line or presence or absence of rivers, depositing sediment.

In addition the seaward profile and bearing plays a large part; shallow inshore areas reduce wave energy and slow erosion rates, whilst deep areas allow the wave to retain its energy. Similary the distance over which the wave has passed (fetch) plays a big part. type of rock - in other words, its geology.

In more recent years' human influence has played a greater part in shaping outr coasts. Intivention through the construction of coastal or flood defences, reclamation projects, economic construction and recreational pusuits have all altered the natural state - sometimes for the better ....... and sometimes not!

This video shows changes in the Blackwater estuary in Essex.

Coastal erosion and coastal flooding are often linked.  One may lead to another, especially where shorelines separating the sea from flat, low-lying land are eroding.