Some Coastal Landforms are Caused by Erosion

Cliffs and Wave-cut Platforms

  • Cliffs- form as the sea erodes the land. They retreat due to the action of waves and weathering.
  • Weathering and wave erosion cause a notch to form at the high-water mark – a cave is formed.
  • Rock above becomes unstable and collapses.
  • Wave-cut platformsare flat surfaces left behind.

 

Headlands and Bays

  • Form where there are bands of alternating hard rock and soft rock at right angles to the shoreline.
  • Soft rock is eroded quickly forming a The harder rock is protruding out to sea; the headland.

 

Caves, Arches and Stacks

  • Cliff profile features.
  • Weak areas in rock are eroded to form
  • Caves on the opposite sides of a narrow headland may eventually join up to form an
  • When an arch collapse, it forms a