Having a working break looking after Jo's house, where I can keep an eye on the diggers on Chesil beach.  It's still not looking it's old self but looks like it'll recover soon. Fab view. Even some sunshine. But the beach has not got it's perfect curve, yet.

Watching Erosion in Action

Meanwhile, over at West Bay Things still look Very unstable. We go to look at the cliffs that have fallen, as you do. But was that wise? There are cracks. Shall we move away! It's getting a bit chilly.

Don't Look Up

 An edifying walk on the beach with an Emeritus Professor - Vince the Invincible.

 At Ringstead Bay we see examples of ancient and recent landslips and gain insight into the dynamic meetings of Earth, Ocean and Atmosphere.

Puppy in 200ft cliff plunge

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/11064393.COASTGUARD_ROUND_UP__Puppy_in_200ft_cliff_plunge/?ref=rss

Interesting bit on erosion with Vince

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/coastal-erosion-at-hallsands-causes-and-effects/9967.html

"You can't hold the line everywhere"

The National Trust owns more than 740 miles of coastline around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, around a tenth of the total coastline for the three countries.
Peter Nixon, the trust's director of land, landscape and nature, said: 
"We're expecting more extremes, less predictability, more stormy events, combined with an underlying issue of rising sea levels."

He warned against the trap of believing "we can engineer our way out of this".

He said: "We all have to be sensitive to those who have become dependent on artificial defences, but if you keep up defending, you build up the risk of a catastrophic event.

"A false sense of security in artificial defences can lead you to a catastrophic collapse, as opposed to a managed impact.


"You can't hold the line everywhere, it's physically impossible and it's not good for society." 
From BBC  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26277373

Good Erosion

PIDDOCKS

Lessons from the Shore: Piddock Clams and Moon Snails copy

Posted by Julie Hall on July 25, 2012 at 9:24 am
by Leigh Calvez July 25, 2012, 9:24 a.m.

Piddock clam hole in stone

Then Gerlind pointed out the holes in the hard-packed mud all around us, some with tubes sticking out of them. She bent over to touch the creature with one finger and water squirted up as it retreated into the hole. She identified these creatures as Piddock clams and told their story. The Piddock clam starts its life as a larvae drifting along with the currents until it finds a nice patch of hard mud it can latch onto. As its shell starts to grow it begins to bore into the sea floor. Each year it adds another layer to its shell and digs deeper into the hole with only the long siphon emerging from the hole to filter its food from the water. It will spend its entire life in that one hole. “I know some people like that,” whispered someone next to me. I shuddered as I looked into the holes that reminded me of tiny graves.

We continued down the beach, stopping now and again to examine other tiny creatures. The life of the Piddock clam stayed with me as I walked. What would that be like to stay in the same hole for your whole life? For me, with my deep desire to travel and explore, the Piddock’ life sounded like a death sentence. The story of the Piddock clam would stay with me for a long while.

Then one of the naturalists found an adult moon snail alive with its muscular foot extruded from its shell. I was thrilled! I love moon snails with their beautifully rotund, white spiral shells.

I admired the moon snail’s freedom, going wherever and whenever it pleased, taking its home with it, unlike the Piddock clam that buries itself for life.

Why, I wondered, was I so repulsed by the Piddock clam and so in awe of this fat, pink snail? Then I understood something I’d not wanted to admit to myself. I had become a Piddock clam. For all the courageous, moon snailish wandering I had done in my life, my life had become a tight shell of fear of looking foolish, stupid, or bothersome. I had let fear bury me in layers of mud that kept me stuck. And I didn’t want to see it.

Fascinating Research Blog by Fran Rylands

http://jurassicresearch.wordpress.com/

Sun Bathing Safety Cage

A prototype sunbathing safety cage has been unveiled and it is hoped will be available for use along the Dorset Coast in the coming months. During early trials, volunteer sun-seekers were treated to simulated tanning in a controlled environment (indoors). Despite a few teething problems and participants claiming they looked like they had been cooked in a waffle maker due to the grid lines all over them, the manufacturers (Kenchef Waffle Makers Ltd.) have claimed 110% success.

Thought for the Day

Listen to Thought for the Day by Canon Angela Tilby here Thought for the Day

Signs

Hi Jeff and Julia

There have been signs up.  A huge one was at Burton Bradstock (which people ignored) - Last time I looked, it was no longer there, as a rock fall had landed on it!

http://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/11024250.Sightseers_ignore_warnings_following_West_Bay_rock_fall/?ref=var_0

The above Bridport News story tells of people ignoring warnings - even after 400 tons have fallen down..

Shock, Awe and Ellipsis: art and climate change

http://www.publicartonline.org.uk/whatsnew/news/article.php/Shock,+Awe+and+Ellipsis%3A+art+and+climate+change

"Most people think erosion is a terrible thing, but that’s why the coast is here. The sea will eventually win. It might not be for 100 years, but there will come a point where it will no longer be possible to stop this from happening.”

Richard Edmonds, earth science manager at Dorset County Council’s Jurassic Coast Team

 Signage Experiments -

 for development (or deletion?)

Safe Tea First

Badges

Non-slip matting being tested

 I bought this roll of NON SLIP matting. Thought it might help with the Erosion Project.

If we cover all the paths and cliff tops with it and employ a cleaner once a week, that should stop accidents?