After a huge crack was discovered at the summit of a 150ft high cliff, a large chunk of Britain’s Jurassic Coast may be in danger of falling.
A gaping crevasse measuring 300ft in length has split the sandstone rock cliff into two. This means that thousands of tonnes could be swept away at any time.
Experts say the cliff is already 4ft lower than the one directly below it. Walkers on the beaches below are advised to stay away from it or they could be injured or even killed.
This Unesco World Heritage Site in Britain includes the clifftop beauty spot at Seatown, Dorset.
This stretch is visited by many thousands of ramblers each year. However, the coast’s unstable cliffs are notorious for creating landslips.
In April, thousands of tonnes of debris from the beaches below caused one of the largest falls in the area in many decades.
It is possible that the crevasse, which measures 300 feet long and has split the Sandstone Cliff in half, could open up to thousands of tonnes of Earth at any given moment.
Experts say the cliff is already 4ft lower than the one next to it. Walkers on the beach below are advised to stay away from it or risk getting hurt or killed.
This beauty spot on a cliff top overlooking Seatown, Dorset is part of Britain’s Unesco world Heritage site
In April, thousands of tonnes of debris fell onto the beaches below in the same region.
Just two weeks ago, 600 tonnes of rock were thrown from West Bay’s cliffs.
Richard Edmonds a local geologist stated that the section had become unstable due to the crack.
According to him, it was a continuation the huge fall last April. It has caused a large portion of the cliffstop to be unstable. In July, another one occurred.
The extreme rainfall we received a few days ago has made matters worse. This is a surprising amount of severe weather. Normally, it takes months for rainwater to accumulate enough to cause landslides.
Nick Bale spoke for the West Bay coastguard and said this was rockfall season. He stated that people need to be cautious when walking under the rocks and should keep clear of them.
The changing weather is what makes this season for cliff drops. It rains water seeps into rock fissures. It expands as it freezes and loosens the material.
Richard Edmonds is a local geologist who stated that the section had become dangerously unstable due to the crack.
Nick Bale spoke for the West Bay coastguard and said this was rockfall season. According to Bale, “People should avoid the cliffs” and walk on the beaches beneath them for the possibility of falling.
This stretch is visited by many thousands of people each year. However, the coast’s unstable cliffs make it a popular spot for land slips.
Rob Samson is the region manager for coastguard. He said the section of cliff that was unstable could easily collapse.
Rob Samson was the regional manager of the coastguard and said that the cliffs were’very unstable’. He added that they could fall without warning.
Russell Guff is part of Dorset Council’s project development team for countryside projects. He said that they are closely monitoring cracks and prepared to close South West Coastal Path which lies just 60ft from them.
His statement was that ‘we are working with National Trust to assess if the National Trust poses a threat to the coast path. In recent months, there was another one and the current incident is an extension of that.
Graham Hut (a local photographer) said that the section of the cliff was “hanging on” and would be gone in the following week. According to Hut, several cracks were visible further east. Signs have been posted warning of possible rockfalls.