Coastal defences, such as sea walls and promenades, primarily function by creating a barrier that interacts with incoming wave energy to protect the land behind them.
Understanding Sea Walls and Promenades
Based on the provided information, one method of coastal defence involves the construction of sea walls and promenades. These structures are strategically placed to counter the forces of the sea.
How Sea Walls Protect the Coast
- Location: Sea walls are typically built using concrete and are situated along the bottom of cliffs.
- Purpose: Their main function is to stop erosion of the coastline.
- Mechanism: The design of sea walls is crucial to their effectiveness. They are often built with a curved or angled shape. This specific design helps in two key ways:
- Absorbing Energy: The shape helps to absorb some of the force from incoming waves.
- Reflecting Energy: Critically, the curve or angle helps to reflect the energy of the waves back into the sea. This reduces the amount of energy that reaches and erodes the land or cliff face.
The Role of Promenades
- Location: Promenades are paths that are constructed along the top of these sea walls.
- Function: While primarily serving as a public amenity (a pathway), their construction is integrated with the sea wall structure. The combined structure forms a larger barrier.
In essence, this type of coastal defence provides a robust physical barrier designed to directly confront wave action, absorbing and redirecting its destructive energy away from the vulnerable coastline.
