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The Isle of Wight Undercliff

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posted on 2023-06-09, 21:17 authored by Roger Moore
The Isle of Wight Undercliff is a unique coastal landscape. Formed by deep-seated mass movement, the origins of the Undercliff can be traced back through the Holocene and Late Quaternary, when sea level and climatic conditions were very different than today. The spectacular landscape of stepped terraces with open sea views, coupled with a warm humid micro-climate, became popular in Victorian times, a period of rapid development of Ventnor and other villages located within the Undercliff. The occupation and development of the Undercliff has exposed development and infrastructure to repeated damage from incipient ground displacement. Occasional more rapid ground movement and landslide events have occurred leading to the evacuation of residents, severe damage and abandonment of affected areas. This chapter gives an account of the landscape and landforms of the Isle of Wight Undercliff as observed from Victorian times to the present day. It presents new work to construct a three-dimensional model of the underlying geology which has a profound influence on the various landslide ground models that form the Undercliff. The sustainability of development and continued occupation of the Undercliff gives rise to many challenges and risks that requires effective management of land instability to mitigate the potential economic losses, which are anticipated to increase in future due to climate change and rising sea level.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Publisher

Springer

Page range

145-167

Pages

612.0

Book title

Landscapes and landforms of England and Wales

Place of publication

Cham

ISBN

9783030389567

Series

World Geomorphological Landscapes

Department affiliated with

  • Geography Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Editors

Piotr Migon, Andrew Goudie

Legacy Posted Date

2020-06-16

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-06-16

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