The new model, CliffSCAPE, will allow engineers to more accurately predict and manage change of a phenomena that has the ability to sweep away homes and roads. Traditional cliff recession predictions have relied on statistical analysis of a small number of measurements of cliff recession.

This new method recognises the failure of such an approach to take into account variable factors including climatic conditions such as the sudden arrival of storms or rainfall that can initiate cliff recession. Thorough research is the bedrock of the new system, demonstrated in Essex by the team's use of a wide range of data sources, including old ordinance survey maps, aerial photos, beach profile data and twice-yearly surveys of clifftop locations.

CliffSCAPE's use of these and other data sources removes a great deal of the uncertainty that currently pervades coastal management, and the heavy reliance on specific data means that the method can be successfully transferred to other coastal sites.

Coastal engineers using CliffScape can also use its technology to test the impact of proposed solutions by modelling the effects of any planned intervention to compare the results against alternative forms of action.

MJ Information No: 17103