Features of Coastal Erosion
Headlands and Bays
- Headlands and bays most commonly form on discordant coastlines.
- As soft rock (for example, clay) erodes more easily than hard rock (for example, chalk), bays and headlands are created.
- As the soft rock erodes to create bays, with hard rock creating headlands on either side.
- Coasts that consist of the same rock type, or concordant coastlines, are less likely to have headlands and bays as erosion occurs at similar rates along the whole length of the coast. However, if the hard rock is 'punctured', the softer rock that lies behind can become eroded to form a cove with a narrow entrance.
Caves, Arches and Stacks
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Blow holes
- When a cave is formed and erosion continues, the roof of the cave will become weakened. As the waves crash into the cave, they can be reflected upwards further eroding the top of the cave.
- At the same time, weathering of the cliff, for example through carbonation, can weaken the rock above until eventually a hole appears.
- As the waves continue to crash into the cave and are reflected upwards, water rushes through the hole and creates a blowhole.
Wave-Cut Notches and Wave-Cut Platforms
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