Coastal Protection Report.

Coastal Protection Report

Introduction

My geographical study involved an investigation into different methods of coastal protection. The study was conducted around a small part of South West coastline in Cumbria, around Barrow in Furness. This area has a large variety of coastal defences in a relatively small geographical area that is why it was chosen for my study. We recorded our data onto a standardized coastal protection recording sheet. The information we collected was used to investigate 3 possible hypothesis.

Hypothesis

The 3 possible hypothesis are;

There is a link between the cost of a hard defence system and its structural effectiveness.

There is a link between the value of the land and the amount spent.

The more effective sea defence systems are by their very nature less aesthetically pleasing.

Method

In order to obtain the required detail/research needed, we used a stratified technique. This is where sites were selected based on previous visits by us to this area of coastline. This is better than a random sample as random samples may have given me all the same type of defence not a large variety. This coastline had a variety of different defence systems of different ages, and effectiveness. These samples had the advantage of reducing outside variables, and that is why they were chosen. Outside variables might of occurred had we used a random and geographically wide ranging sample method.

We had a pre-made recording data sheet which we used at each site. We had the same sheet for each site so we were gathering relevant information. The data recording sheet looked at the geology, nature of the beach , current land use, nature of erosion and details of existing and past defences. We also gave a mark out of ten to each defence system based on its structural effectiveness and its aesthetic effectiveness. In the field an annotated sketch was used to record more detail on each defence system . Photographs were taken to show areas of interests. The sites chosen were: