Coastal geomorphology coursework on the North Norfolk coast - page 4
Keywords: This is a coursework on the coasts of Cley and Overstrand in the North Norfolk coast
By Northcott on 26/09/2008
Level: VGCSE
Page Number: 4 of 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
specific sea defences and the drainage from the impermeable clay holding the water.
One of our most knowledgeable teachers in this area will also be giving a bit of extra information that I will make sure will be noted down. This teacher is called Mr. Merret who will be giving us a talk about this part of the area as he has a lot of previous experience of this area. He will tell us some of the future plans and the past occurrences that will or have taken place to prevent that part of the coast collapsing and or eroding.
Data Presentation and Analysis
Overstrand
In terms of the first question the main coastal landform at Overstrand is the distinct 30m high cliffs that loom down on the coastal walls that surround the beach. These cliffs are mostly made up of chalk that has settled here due to glaciation. Visibly you can see that severe solifluction has taken place along with rotational slumping (see diagram left). As well as the chalk there is a severe contribution of clay. This is an impermeable surface that is the cause of rotational slumping and most of the cliff defences there. This means that the cliff is always full of water at all times. The cliff also has a small bit of flint content that is much harder than chalk and clay so it doesn’t erode, as easily, these lines of clay are clearly visible. The only way that the flint could have got here is by glacial movement. If the flint gets into the sea by coastal erosion of the cliffs then these rocks can be used against the coast by eroding it more efficiently with harder rock. Some of these eroded rocks are moved by longshore drift down to Cley that I will talk about later.
In terms of the second question about the past influences of geology past and present processes the main reason that these cliffs have formed as they have is glaciation. The random way in which the rocks were thrown around by the melting glacial waters created the cliffs that are there now. (As shown on the right). The deep seated rotational slumping that causes the cliffs to collapse every now and then is a present process that is causing all the inhabitants of the houses up on the hills to bite their nails a little bit.
The last question concerning human activity
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