Rockfall at Birling Gap, U.K. is caught live!

At Birling Gap in Sussex, U.K., white chalk cliffs are perpetually eroding as a result of the frosts and months of heavy rain and high waves. Watch the occurrence of a significant collapse event, on March 4th, in the following video! 

The vertical white chalk slopes of Birling Gap are experiencing substantial erosion over the years as a result of the sea level rise and the strong storms, which become more and more often. On average, about 75 centimetres of erosion are recorded each year, but the storms of early 2014 have caused several metres to fall at once. According to Jane Cecil, National Trust general manager for the South Downs "about seven years of erosion occurred in just two months".

A video available on YouTube by Eddie Mitchell, is characteristic of the erosion process and the cliffline retreat. The collapsed area was closed to the public, after a large crack appeared on the ground surface a few days ago. The collapse initiates at the foot of the cliff and then propagates towards the ground surface, causing a major amount of chalk to end up in the water.

The frequent collapse events are threatening a group of historic cottages in the area, and the National Trust is called to take immediate measures. According to a spokesman from the National Trust: "We will continue to monitor the situation and have signage in place letting visitors to the site know which areas they should avoid."