The Historic White Cliffs Of Dover Would Likely Vanish, Study Reveals

Scientists warn that England's classic and historic White Cliffs of Dover would likely vanish if left unprotected. It has been eroding 10 times quicker in the last 150 years because of climate change and poor management of beaches.

The findings of the study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers from the U.S. and the U.K. have found evidence that the White Cliffs of Dover are undergoing rapid erosion.

The team also discovered that the cause of the erosion is due to the loss of beach underneath the cliffs. This provides a buffer to the sea. Although there are sea walls and groynes that protect the beaches, still there is an expense of the huge sections of the East Sussex coastline.

They also found there is a poor coastal management that leads in jeopardizing the coast in case there are stormy seas caused by global warming, according to Huffington Post.

The researchers examined the historical rates of erosion by gauging the changes in rock when it is uncovered to falling particles from space. When there are many isotopes of beryllium in the rock beneath the cliffs, the rock could be uncovered, thus able to gauge the erosion.

The rate of erosion is estimated 22 to 32 cm a year. It is also reported that almost 7,000 homes in England and Wales would likely be swallowed up by coastal erosion for the next few decades.

The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs located on the English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The composition of the cliffs is based mainly of chalk and highlighted by stripes of black flint.

The cliffs have symbolic value in Britain because of its location, wherein the cliffs serve as a symbolic guard in the invasions in the past. The cliffs also formed the first or last sight of England for travelers.