Cliff Recession
Erosion is greatest when waves break at the foot of a cliff. This causes erosion at the base of the cliff. This creates a wave-cut notch in the base of the cliff. As the notch increases in size the weight of the cliffs above become too much and the cliff collapses. This material will provide temporary protection for the cliff behind. However, once it has been removed by the sea this process will occur again. Where cliffs are made of more resistant material, wave cut platforms will be created.
Landforms overview
The video above covers the formation of erosional landforms. If you cannot view the video please ensure you have the latest version of Windows Media Player installed on your computer. You can download it here. Alternatively download the original file here.
Bays and headlands
Headlands form along coastlines in which bands of soft and hard rock outcrop at right angles to the coastline (see image below). Due to the different nature of the rock erosion occurs at different rates. Less resistant rock (e.g. boulder clay) erodes more rapidly than less resistant rock (e.g. chalk).
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| The image below shows the landforms that result from the different rates of erosion. |
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