The guide Carlos Cantú

First look the location…. East of London in the county of Kent. The major part of the area we will study lies within the Reculver Country Park, a small area of protected countryside. This area is very useful to study because there is natural rates of erosion that are high and much of this has been done to try and manage this section of coast with varying degrees of success. LOCATION

Coastal Management Techniques SEA WALLS The'hard' defence is the sea wall Sea walls have a slope and curved top which breaks up the energy of the wave and prevents water going over the top of the wall during heavy storms Sea walls are very expensive (£2000-£5000 per metre) but should last years

Breakwater Often used to protect a harbour but may be used to protect a stretch of coastline. They have to be strong enough to take the full force of the waves. Since they have to be built in deep water they are, like sea walls, expensive to build.

Groynes Designed to slow down longshore drift and build up the beach. They are usually made of tropical hardwoods which are more resistant to marine borers and erosion. A few are made of concrete, steel or in more recent times large rocks. They are built at right angles to the shore and spaced about metres apart.

The coast is shaped mainly by the action of the waves which reach the shore. Waves are created by the winds which blow across the surface. Friction results in the transfer of energy from the wind to the waves. The size of the waves depends on three factors: the strength of the wind the length of time that the wind blows the distance over which the wind blows

Waves erode or wear away the coast and transport the eroded material along the coastline - a process called longshore drift. Eventually the material will be deposited on a beach or will form a larger feature such as a spit. Erosion works in four ways: Hydraulic action - this results from the force of the water hitting the cliffs. Corrasion - this is caused by the waves picking up stones and hurling them at the cliffs. Attrition - any material carried by the waves will become rounder and smaller over time. Corrosion [solution] - the dissolving of rocks by sea water.