F!13Il-.-.; A:: It: Identification of Littoral Cells
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Journal of Coastal Research 381-400 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Spring 1995 Littoral Cell Definition and Budgets for Central Southern England Malcolm J. Bray, David J. Carter and Janet M. Hooke Department of Geography University of Portsmouth Portsmouth, POI 3HE, England ABSTRACT . BRAY, M.J.; CARTER, D.J., and HOOKE, J.M., 1995. Littoral cell definition and budgets for central southern England. Journal of Coastal Research, 11(2),381-400. Fort Lauderdale (Florida), ISSN 0749 ,tllllllll,.e 0208. Differentiation of natural process units is promoted as a means of better understanding the interconnected . ~ ~ - nature of coastal systems at various scales. This paper presents a new holistic methodology for the f!13Il-.-.; a:: it: identification of littoral cells. Testing is undertaken through application to an extensive region of central ... bJLt southern England. Diverse sources of information are compiled to map 8. detailed series of local sediment circulations both at the shoreline and in the offshore zone. Cells and sub-cells are subsequently defined by thorough examination of the continuity of sediment transport pathways and by identification of boundaries where there are discontinuities. Important distinctions are made between the nature and stability of different boundaries and a classification of types is devised. Application of sediment budget analysis to major process units helps to clarify the regional significance of different sediment sources, stores and sinks. Within the study area, it is shown that sediments circulate from distinct eroding cliff sources to well defined sinks. Natural beaches are transient and dependent upon the continued functioning of supply pathways from cliff sources. Relict cells with residual circulations are identified as a consequence of interference. Littoral cell boundaries separate independent coastal units from those that are partially, or totally dependent 80 the spatial impacts of various processes and practices can be discerned. They identify appropriate units for management, from which new co-operative groupings of local authorities can develop. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Shoreline, management, sediment, transport, erosion. INTRODUCTION concepts into operational units. This paper ex Coastal management needs to be organised at amines these problems by utilising a holistic ap scales which are fully representative of the dy proach to define littoral cells and their sediment namics of the coastal system. Past coast protec budgets at a variety of scales. Aimed principally tion, sea-defence and planning arrangements in at shoreline management, such methods could the U.K. concentrated upon site-specific or prob form the basis for reappraisal of prevailing ar lem-specific issues that have resulted in compar rangements and activities. In this context, it is ative neglect at the larger regional scale (FLEMING, important that a consistent methodology be ap 1992). Partly a product of the fragmented and plied. Few previous studies have addressed these disparate organisation of shoreline protection and issues at regional scales. planning in the U.K., policies based on this per spective have delivered a legacy of developments The Systems Approach Applied to the Coast and practices whose wider, or longer-term impacts A budgetary approach in which the coast is were not anticipated (EVANS, 1992). Consequent characterised by inputs, transfers, storage and ly, a more consistent framework for understand outputs of materials and energy has long been ing and managing the coast as a system needs to advocated by coastal researchers (e.g., BOWEN and be developed. INMAN, 1966; KRUMBEIN, 1968; DAVIES, 1979; LAK Differentiation of the coast through identifi HAN and TRENHAILE, 1989). The methodology rec cation of process units offers great opportunities ognises that coastal systems comprise a series of to develop a better co-ordinated approach (CAR interrelated units linked by diverse transfer pro TER, 1988; BRUNSDEN, 1992). Nevertheless, sig cesses operating over different spatial and tem nificant difficulties remain in translating such poral scales. Differentiation of equilibrium and transient behaviour amongst units is critical to 93085received 19 November 1993; accepted in revision 29 February 1994. understanding the full implications and knock- 382 Bray, Carter and Hooke on effects associated with human interference (e.g., eroding, compound cliffs on the open coast to coast protection structures) or progressive natural mudflats and saltmarshes in enclosed harbours. change affecting external boundary conditions Predominant wave direction is from the south (e.g., rising sea-level). west, coinciding with the maximum fetch which Several appropriate scales representing a hi extends into the Atlantic. Inshore hydraulic con erarchical structure of processes and forms have ditions are strongly controlled by coastal orien been distinguished for the study of coasts (STIVE tation in relation to fetch. Variably sheltered by et al., 1990; TERWINDT and WIJNBERG, 1991). the Isle of Wight, a wide spectrum of conditions However, it is the large scale variations in fluxes prevails around the Solent with its unique "dou and storage covering decades and tens of kilo ble" tides and strong tidal currents (WEBBER, metres that determine the net effects (CAMBERS, 1980). 1976; TERWINDT and WIJNBERG, 1991). Analysis Coastal geologic materials of Jurassic and Cre at the large scale requires comprehensive data sets taceous age outcrop in the west with younger Ter measured over long periods (DE VRIEND, 1991), tiary and Quaternary sediments to the east (MEL limiting application to those few coastal units with VILLE and FRESHNEY, 1982); most are highly appropriate monitoring records. Projects of this erodible. Retreat has formed large embayments type have been initiated along extensive lengths between harder lithological units where major of coastline, e.g., East Anglia, U.K. (FLEMING, headlands have developed. An important char 1989), the Netherlands (DE RUIG and LOUISSE, acteristic of this coast is the prevalence of gravel 1991) and the Pacific Northwest in the U.S.A. beaches composed of hard chert and flint mate (ROSENFIELD et al., 1991), but these remain ex rials originally derived from superficial deposits ceptional. and from horizons within the Cretaceous strata Appreciation of these problems in the late 1980's (SCOTT, 1993). Many features are the legacy of led to the formation of non-statutory regional the Holocene transgression (DEVOY, 1982; CARR groups of coastal authorities committed to mutual and BLACKLEY, 1974; WEST, 1980; BRAY, 1992a) consultation; by 1992, eighteen co-operating and regional subsidence contributes towards con groups had been established covering 98 C}O of the tinuing relative sea-level rise (EMERY and AUBREY, coast of England and Wales (HOUSE OF COMMONS 1985; SHENNAN and WOODWORTH, 1992). Much of ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE, 1992). SCOPAC-The the coast is densely populated and has a long Standing Conference on Problems Associated with history of protection and defence. the Coastline-is one such group comprising /29 local authorities and agencies covering a 200 km METHODS segment of the south coast. Formed in 1986, they A phased programme of research was devised instigated a programme of research to investigate to identify, compile and analyse information at sediment transport and sedimentation as a fun several scales (Figure 2). Widespread archive damental basis upon which to improve regional searches were undertaken throughout all acces understanding, co-ordination and management of sible organisations and individuals with statutory the shoreline environment of this coast. This pa ownership and other regulatory coastal respon per presents the results of a holistic study based sibilities or interests. Some 3,450 items were iden on diverse information sources to identify cells, tified, including a wide variety of published works their domains of activity, interdependence and and a fragmented, but surprisingly extensive, un sensitivity to change. The diverse nature of the published literature comprising academic theses coastal study area means that the methodology and numerous internal reports by local authori and results are potentially of wider significance. ties, consultants and contractors. Systematic clas Indeed, since the production of the report from sification of these materials was undertaken to which this paper has been developed (BRAY et al., create a bibliographic database covering all as 1991), a strategic study of littoral cells at the na pects of coastal sedimentation (CARTER et al., tional scale has been published by MAFF (MoTYKA 1989). These contents were used in a second phase and BRAMPTON, 1993). of study to compile and analyse critically all ex tant evidence relating to sediment transportation The Study Area (BRAY et al., 1991). A wide variety of coastal environments are cov Details relating to processes and sediments were ered (Figure 1). The range includes high, rapidly abstracted and individually assessed for reli- Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 11, No.2, 1995 Littoral Cell Budgets 383 N HAMPSHIRE t C ' , " . WEST SUSSEX . ':. Southampton · Brighton Wort hmg , DORSET ~~~:-" Lyme Re is Lyme Bay $1 Calhe' oes POlnl English Channel 20kn\ "--__--'I Figure I, The study are a, ability according to the nature of their source data, CHRISTCHURCH BAY: A LOCAL its representativeness, and the availability of in SEDIMENT TRANSPORT UNIT dependent corroboration.