Question 1 Report
Fig. 1 shows an engineering drawing for a village where a river enters the sea. The scheme includes a rock barrier built offshore, a rebuilt dune ridge and warning boards. The beach is popular with walkers, but winter waves have damaged several buildings close to the estuary. The council needs to choose methods that protect homes without stopping public access.
(a) Which structure in Fig. 1 is built parallel to the shore but offshore? [1]
(b) Outline how this structure changes incoming wave energy. [2]
(c) Draw one possible disadvantage of building the structure, using a labelled plan view. [2]
(a) Offshore breakwater [1] (b) Waves break against the barrier offshore [1]; less wave energy reaches the beach and land behind [1] (c) Any suitable labelled disadvantage, award [1] for feature and [1] for effect: sediment build-up in one place causing erosion elsewhere, obstruction to boats, visual impact, or altered currents.
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