Costal erosion happens when wind and water currents wear away the shoreline. Depending on whether they are sandy or rocky they will erode in different ways.
Costal erosion can be a big problem if houses are built on low lying sand, or on cliffs. A zoning system has been set up to prevent buildings being put up in areas which are likely to flood or erode.
New Zealanders love to love by the sea but this is something they have to put into mind. One way people have tried to make coast stable and protect buildings is to build sea walls. You can find many around Waitemata Harbour in Auckland and the Wellington waterfront. Beaches can be restored by bring in sand from somewhere else. Planting native grasses that trap sand can stop sand dunes from being blown or washed away.
"Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand." Collapsed Cliff - Costal Erosion -. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016.
"Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand." Collapsed Cliff - Costal Erosion -. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016.
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That great that New Zealand has a great zoning system that to keep houses from being built on low laying sand or on cliffs. There are very many people that, despite the risk, want to live with a great view of the ocean. I am glad that even when people do not have a full understanding of the best places for building that they are being watched after. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI found some interesting numbers: cliff recession generally occurs at 0.25 ‐ 1.0 m.y−1 with maximum rates of 2.25 m.y−1 for mudstone cliffs at Cape Tumagain and 3.46 m.y−1 for conglomerate cliffs at Ngapotiki (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00288330.1978.9515770).
ReplyDeleteLosing 2-3m of land a year IS a lot...topping that, this is an island/s so there is only so much land to manage...a tough problem..
With that view, I would love to live by the sea! With all of the development that has happened on the coast, I wonder if they are going to push back the zones for building. Especially with the rate of erosion on the coast, but was happy to read that preventative measures are being used to keep the coast and buildings safe and in tacked.
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