The Holderness Coast in Yorkshire, UK is one of Europe's fastest eroding coastlines, losing an average of 2 meters of land per year, which is around 2 million tons of material. It is composed of soft, erodible boulder clay deposited over glacial chalk bedrock. Resistant Flamborough Head chalk formations and deposition at Spurn Point evidence longshore drift along the coast. Landslips, rockfalls, and mudflows are coastal erosion processes affecting the less resistant boulder clay cliffs.

1. Coastal Erosion Case Study:
The Holderness Coast
Yorkshire, UK

2. The Holderness Coast is one of Europe's
fastest eroding coastlines. The average
annual rate of erosion is around 2 metres
per year. This is around 2 million tonnes of
material every year. Under lying the
Holderness Coast is bedrock made up of
Cretaceous Chalk. However, in most place
this is covered by glacial till deposited over
18,000 years ago. It is this soft boulder
clay that is being rapidly eroded.

5. Resistant Chalk Headland at Flamborough Head

7. Spurn Point provides evidence of longshore
drift on the Holderness Coast. It is an
excellent example of a spit. Around 3% of
the material eroded from the Holderness
Coast is deposited here each year.

8. Less Resistant bolder clay cliffs near Mappleton

9. 9
Landslips: also known as rotational slumps, are occasional
rapid movements of a mass of earth or rock dropping down
along a concave plane. Water percolating through sandstone
gets into the clay beneath, saturating it. With the weight of the
rock above forcing down on it the clay moves seawards as a
mud flow. With the clay moving sideways the sandstone above
slumps down. Undercutting of a steep slope by the sea
weakens the rock above, making a slump more likely.

10. 10
Rockfall: rapid, free-fall of rock from a steep cliff face due to
gravity. This is made worse by freeze-thaw action loosening
the rock - water enters the joint (vertical crack), freezes and
expands, breaking up the rock. A scree slope of fallen rock is
formed at the bottom of the cliff. It is also possible for free
falls to occur in very dry conditions – for example clay cracks
as it dries out and then crumbles easily

11. 11
Mudflow: occurs on steep slopes over 10°. It's a
rapid sudden movement which occurs after periods
of heavy rain. When there is not enough vegetation
to hold it in place, saturated clay flows out of the cliff
face, almost like a river of mud.

12. Annotate the photograph
showing features of erosion

13. Describe the effects of the erosion here
What would the knock on effects be?

14. What are the main
land uses along the
Holderness Coast?
Why land use
important when
studying erosion?

15. Coastal Erosion Case Study:
The Holderness Coast
Yorkshire, UK