Erosional landforms: Wave cut Platform

Cliffs are a common feature of the british coastline, and due to the soft rock cliffs in certain areas such as sandstone it erodes easily, although signs of this are left behind such as wave cut platforms and arches, stacks and stumps.
The process of cliff erosion

1. Weather weakens the top of the cliff.
2. The sea attacks the base of the cliff forming a wave-cut notch.
3. The notch increases in size causing the cliff to collapse.
4. The backwash carries the rubble towards the sea forming a wave-cut platform.
5. The process repeats and the cliff continues to retreat.

Coastal Erosion

There are four forms of coastal erosion, which can be put into the term C.A.S.H, which stands for Corrosion, Attrition, Solution and Hydraulic action.

Caves, arches, stacks and stumps also form on the sides of headlands as a result of destructive waves. Any of the faults in the cliff are particularly weakened and diminished by hydraulic action and abrasion.  This can lead the the opening of a cave, and if it is enlarged enough to reach the other side of the/a headland it can cause a arch. If continued the arch will eventually collapse creating a stack, and when that gets eroded there is eventually a stump.

Factors affecting coasts

The four main factors affecting coasts are Geology, vegetation, sea-level changes and human activities.

Geology: Depending of which material the coastline is made of can affect the time of erosion, and will erode much quicker if the coast is weak and made of rocks such as clays and sand, whereas if the coast is made of a more resistant, harder rock it will not erode so quickly.

Vegetation: Helps the protect the coastline, by holding it together with the roots from plants.

Sea-level changes: Low lying coasts are being drowned by rising sea-levels caused by global warming, this is a large problem since the worlds most densely populated areas are.

Sea-level changes: Low lying coasts are being drowned by rising sea-levels caused by global warming, this is a large problem since the worlds most densely populated areas are.

Coastal Enviroments

Marine processes

Waves do most of the work of marine processes. They erode, transport and deposit material. Waves are created from wind. The size of the wave depends on: strength of the wind, how long the wind blows for (duration) and the fetch.

Transportation (longshore drift)

Longshore Drift: This is the process of waves moving (transporting) material (load) along a coastline.
Swash: The waves breaking and traveling up the beach carrying load. Waves will break and the swash will travel in the direction of the wind.
Backwash: The waves returning to the sea with load. Waves will take the shortest possible route back to the sea (gravity).
Longshore drift only happens when the waves hit the beach at an angle. It is the process of the swash transporting material up the beach at an angle and the backwash returning directly under the force of gravity that causes material to be transported along the beach.

Prevailing (or dominant) Wind: This is the direction that the wind normally hits a coastline.

Groynes: Groynes are wooden or concrete fences (walls) placed out into the sea to stop longshore drift happening.