Coastal Erosion on Essex Coast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Coastal Erosion on Essex Coast - Essay Example Expenditure on coasts has risen to protect the coast from further depletion as well as shielding nearby residences from flooding. People have tried for many years to control erosion by the abrasive forces of the ocean. In the following paragraphs, I will depict some of the reasons for the erosion of international coastlines. Then, find will analyze the types of sea defences that can protect coastlines. Then we will evaluate which sea defence is will aid Clacton on Essex coast. Coastal erosion is the local loss of coastal landmass due to natural processes such as waves, winds and tides, or even due to human interference. There are many reasons why there is an erosion happens on coastland. A simpler reason is because the pounding of waves that affect the shoreline daily (i.e. High tide and low tide.) The natural causes such as storms, hurricanes, instanteous surges toward the shore can change the form of the shore. Large storm-generated waves often cause coastal erosion, which may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely in the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments. Erosion in one location may result in accretion nearby. On rocky coasts, coastal erosion can result in dramatic rock formations in areas where the coastline contains stones with a plethora of resistances to erosion. The softer areas of a beach will be eroded much faster than the harder ones, which can result in typical structural land masses such as tunnels, bri dges, columns, and pillars. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_erosion) Some insinuate the temperature change of the climate due to global warming may contribute to erosion. As the planet's temperature rises, the ice caps in the north and south begin to melt and results in higher sea levels. The increased in temperature is do to emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The planetary climate system varies through natural, internal processes and in response to variations in external factors including solar radiation, volcanic emissions, and human proliferated greenhouse gases. The detailed causes of the recent warming remain an active field of research, but the scientific studies insists that increased levels of greenhouse gases due to human activity as the main component. This attribution is clearest for the most recent fifty years, for which the most detailed data are available. Contrasting with this view, other hypotheses have been proposed to explain some of the observe d increase in global temperatures, including: the warming is within the range of natural variation; the warming is a consequence of coming out of a prior cool period, namely the Little Ice Age; or the warming is primarily a result of variances in solar radiation, higher sea levels will strengthen the displacement of sediments and can affect coastal habitats. In addition, droughts can cause vegetation to die. When the vegetation dies, the land is loose because the roots no longer can hold together the ground because it is decaying. Therefore, coastal erosion can easily uproot and erode the dry land mass. Furthermore, flooding has been for centuries a major problem for residents residing near shores. Not only does water destroy property or sacrosanct materials, but it can decapitate homes and threaten life. Coastal erosion affects homes, tourism, and businesses. When many settle in a coastal area, they begin building homes. Then, if that area has a tourist attraction,