Climate change and evolution of landslide hazard at Nefyn Bay, North Wales

An essential tool in the management of present slope instability is an understanding of the climatic history of an area, and how this relates to the deposition and stability of sediments. Late Pleistocene and early Holocene climatic changes have had a significant influence upon sediment deposition and subsequent modification, and this has a direct bearing on Holocene coastal landsliding that continues to the present day. The cliffs of Nefyn Bay, on the northern coast of the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales, exhibit a complicated succession of sediments deposited as result of changes in geoenvironmental conditions over time. Examination of the cliffs has shown that understanding the complex relationship between sediments, climate and slope stability is essential if we are to successfully manage unstable terrain in the region, given that the frequency of extreme climatic events is forecast to increase in the future.