SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study 2012 Update
Channel Coast Observatory: FDGiA £150,000 with contributions from SCOPAC (2014-2017)
The most utilised of SCOPAC’s research, the SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study provides a clear understanding of coastal processes across the region, and helps to underpin the development of strategy studies, schemes and future shoreline management policy.
Covering the coastline of central-southern England between Lyme Regis (Dorset) and Shoreham-By-Sea (West Sussex), the original SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study was undertaken by the University of Portsmouth in 1991, and previously updated in 2004 [more].
The methods for this 2012 revision were guided and approved by the Project Steering Group, which comprised members of the SCOPAC Research Group, encompassing the three relevant Coastal Groups (Southwest, Southern and Southeast Coastal Groups).
Example study area (maps are interactive)
The over-arching principles for this revision were:
- The 2012 revision includes data and reports up to winter 2012 / spring 2013;
- The spatial extent, content, layout and appearance of the revised maps mirrors the 2004 mapping as far as possible;
- Any changes of the arrows since 2004 are highlighted in the text.
The associated Bibliographic Database was also updated by SCOPAC to source relevant reports, papers and other references from 2002 to 2012.
The principal sources of extensive new coastal data are from the Southeast and Southwest Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes (www.coastalmonitoring.org).
Please note that this revision incorporates findings up to winter 2012/spring 2013 and therefore does not include the effects of the 2013/14 storms and the 2015/16 winter which were significant in terms of coastal change for many areas.
The 2012 update of the SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study was funded by the Environment Agency under Flood Defence Grant in Aid, grant number LDW 41230, with additional contributions from SCOPAC. The updated Bibliographic Database and Stores and Sinks study were funded by SCOPAC as external contributions to this project.
The literature review was conducted by David Carter, University of Portsmouth. The detailed review of the literature and map revisions by the relevant Local Authority and Environment Agency coastal engineers is acknowledged with thanks.
This updated Sediment Transport Study is referenced as:
New Forest District Council (2017). 2012 Update of Carter, D., Bray, M., & Hooke, J., 2004 SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study, www.scopac.org.uk/sts
The SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study 2004 remains online and available to anyone that may wish to access it: