Coastal Erosion at Happisburgh

Introducion

Happisburgh is a large english village located on North Norflok's stunning coast. Home to 1400 people and 600 houses and holds an amazing community spirit. Furthermore, it plays host to a rich history shown through the archetecture, a 14th century church and the UK's only working light house. However, this village has always been underthreat extream coastal erosion, exacerbated by climate change resulting in higher sea levels and increased wave energy.

Why is happisburgh eroding

A fudamental part of Happisburgh's rapid erosion is it's location. Happisburgh is located on the east coast and, consiquently, is adjacent to The North Sea. The North Sea has a notoriously large fetch ( distance that the wind blows over the sea), as a result, waves are very high energy leading strengthened erosion of cliffs. Geomorphology also has a massive impact on the rate of erosion. Happisburgh is on a headland which means high energy waves are concentrated on it's cliffs, furthermore, the beach is very narrow meaning there is very little sand to absorb wave energy and thus reduce the seas erosive power. Finally, one increadibly impactful feature is the geology of the cliff, which is very fine and poorly consolidated clay, this has very little ability to resist the intense erosion brought on by high energy waves.

This erosion is further being exacerbated by climate change. As result of global temperatures being 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre industrial temperatures sea level has risen 3.2 mm a year in the last 20 years. this has lead to heightened erosion of cliffs. In addition, warmer seas leads to more storms therefore increasing the number of stormwaves devestating the cliff through erosion processes such as abrasion, as water is able to lift larger sediment and cause it to collide with the cliffs.

As a result of these factors the cliffsof happisburgh have been eroding at extreamly high rates of up to