There are numerous ways waves can erode the cliff – the first, hydraulic action. Waves compress air into cracks and fractures in the cliff, then, as the wave retreats, the air escapes with an explosive effect breaking away parts of the rock. Eventually, as this continues, the rock breaks down quite a bit proving to be a major factor of the erosion of the cliff by my client’s house.
The second way is abrasion, or corrasion. The powerful waves carry rocks and sand along with the water and rub, or scour, against the cliff. This effect eventually wears away at the cliff rock so much that it erodes. A very similar method is attrition – it uses the same principal in that rocks and sand wear away at the cliff rock, however instead of rubbing against the cliff, it’s the hitting of the rocks against the cliff.
Sub-aerial processes affect the cliff face, as the sea affects the cliff foot. With sub-aerial process, erosion occurs after rain, and weathering by wind action and frost. The erosion leads to soil creep, slumping and landslides. This is known as mass movement.
The geology at Barton-on-Sea makes the risk of my client’s house falling into the sea very real. The layers in the cliffs are: 1) greensward (grass), 2) gravel, 3) sand, and 4) clay. The gravel and sand are permeable, meaning water soaks through them and trickles down to the clay. Clay however, is impermeable meaning that water can’t soak through it. Instead, the water saturates the clay and makes it very slippery. This develops a slip plane. At the foot of the cliff, the waves have been eroding the rock, and after time, they’ve developed a wave-cut notch. This notch at the bottom of the cliff eventually gets so big, that the foot of the cliff can’t support the weight of the rock above it. The grass and rock then slump down the slip plane and so the cliff edge becomes even closer towards the houses, and this includes my client’s house. This is known as slumping, a form of mass movement. The diagram below shows how the process works.
Barton-on-Sea is subject to many storms and fierce prevailing winds from the south-west. These storms, and consequently the heavy rain, saturate the clay faster in the slumping process, but also erode the cliff face. The high force winds and heavy rain are also a factor of the cliff-face erosion.
The council should be acting now. If they don’t, my client’s house will fall as the cliff edge continues to retreat. If my client’s house falls (and there’s only three metres left until the ‘if’ becomes a reality), it will be worthless. My client will lose her house, her possessions, her belongings, etc.
My client demands you act and implement cliff protection by the cliff where she lives. If not acted on, my client will sue the council. Alternatively, the council can chose to compensate my client, offering her a house of the same value when bought elsewhere with a sum of money due to the inconveniences and the moving costs.
