How effective are coastal defences at Slapton Sands at preventing

coastal erosion?
Methods:

Sub-Question 1: How is the beach profile influenced by hard and soft engineering strategies?
Recording the beach profile at 250-metre intervals:
Why?
By measuring and taking the beach profile (the shape of the beach) and width of the beach along the
beach, we can see how the beach profile changes with and without any management strategies. The
final profile produced can also help us to classify whether the beach at this point is being influenced
by constructive or destructive waves. A steeper, stepped beach is produced by more destructive waves
(where backwash > swash) and a more gently sloped, wide and flat beach is produced by more
constructive waves (where backwash < swash).
How?
Record the beach profile and width of the beach every 250m from the start of the beach at the
Torcross end (50°15’57°N, 3°39’07°W) until the end of Slapton Sands Memorial carpark
(50°17’12°N, 3°38’43°W), this is a 2.5km stretch, this will produce 10 different intervals, so that a
Spearman’s rank test can be preformed comparing characteristics such as the width of the beach’s
foreshore at low tide, the incline of the beach, and the shape of the beach – obtained by creating a
transect perpendicular to the beach. This allows me to compare how the shape and size of the beach
changes and subsequently how much it has been influenced by the presence of hard engineering
strategies and soft engineering strategies (located closer to the carpark).
To ensure that all of the data points are equally spaced, using google earth all of these points have
been measured on a map and the coordinates have been taken. Using a GPS app on my phone I can
ensure that all my data are collected in the right location.
Once I have reached the coordinate of the following transect, I will set up two ranging poles, one at
Point A (the water mark) and another at Point B (the back of the beach OR at a distinguishable
feature, such as a bank), using a tape measure I will measure the distance between the two points and
using a clinometer I can measure the overall incline of the beach from point A. Where there is a break
or bank on the beach, instead of measuring along the whole beach, point A will be taken from the
water line and point B will be taken from the bank on the beach and then point A will shift to the bank
and point B once again further up the beach to any other banks or to the end of the beach, this will
produce more than one set of data which can be compiled together to produce one beach profile.
Sub-question 2: To what extent do wave characteristics vary across the beach?
Measuring wave characteristics:
Why?
Classifying the parts of the beach where more destructive waves are occurring and where more
constructive waves are occurring, helps us to see what parts of the beach management strategies
should be targeted to when considering land values. Secondary data from Windy.com and
Ventusky.com can also provide some data from winter storm events too, and we can see if there are
similarities between the locations of the most destructive waves on a summer day and a stormy winter
day, as well as finding which places are more likely to see constructive waves.
Additionally, this analysis helps us to see which parts of the beach are most vulnerable to rapid
coastal erosion.
How?
Measure wave frequency by counting the number of wave crests that pass a chosen point that is in line
with the transect line, over 60 seconds. Repeat this count 5 times (for a total of 5 minutes of
counting). After each 60 second period, note down the number of waves that have passed. By the end,
there will be 5 different counts, find an average of these by simply adding them up and dividing by 5.
Use this average to calculate the mean number of waves over different time intervals; 1 min, 10 min,
60 min, 24 hours. Areas with a lower wave frequency are more likely to be seeing more destructive
waves and areas with a greater wave frequency are more likely to be seeing more constructive waves.
Using GoogleEarth, the data from these observations can be placed onto a 3D bar chart, which can
then be compared to winter storm events at Slapton Sands.
Sub-question 3: To what extent are the coastal defences at Slapton Sands cost effective?
Cost-effectiveness of coastal defences at Slapton:
Why?
This gives us an idea of the value of the property that these coastal defences are protecting. Not just
homes, but businesses, roads, and nature reserves. This can also be used to compare against the
national government’s 1:8 policy for coastal defences. It also shows us what places that don’t have
coastal defences may be eligible for it, should the need arise, this need may be revealed by the
previous experiment.
How?
Contact local council authority(ies) to receive figures on how much money has been spent on coastal
defences along the beach as well as the value of the properties and infrastructure sat directly behind
the defences that benefit from its defence. Compare this to the government’s national 1:8 policy on
protecting coastal land and categorise the type of infrastructure that is behind the sea wall using
GoogleEarth with a key.

Sub-question 4: To what extent has Slapton Sands been shaped by erosional or depositional
processes?
Evidence of an erosional or depositional beach:
Why?
By doing it along these original transects, we can see how the main process (erosion or deposition)
changes along the beach towards and away from the sea defences.
How?
Analyse the characteristics of the beach, using some of the data from the beach transect. Determine
whether the beach is short and steep, or long and flat. Find any evidence of a storm beach at the back
of the beach.
Measure the size of 20 pieces of randomly selected sediment along the transects set up at 5 metre
intervals towards the back of the beach and plot graphically the trend seen, if there is any. A beach
with a positive trend, i.e. where sediment size increases as you go up the beach, is a constructive
beach, and if the opposite is true or there is no seen trend, it is likely to be a destructive beach.
By doing it along these original transects, we can see how the main process (erosion or deposition)
changes along the beach towards and away from the sea defences.
All sediment should be measured with a calliper to ensure accuracy and to guarantee randomness
pebbles/sediment will be selected with eyes closed and will be returned to the same area to avoid
removing material from the beach.