COASTAL EROSIONAL LANDFORMS

PRERNA FOR IAS

COASTAL EROSIONAL LANDFORMS

1. Sea Cliff

A sea cliff is a steep, rocky coastal slope formed by continuous wave erosion at the base of the land. Waves remove weaker rock layers, causing the cliff face to retreat inland over time. Sea cliffs are common along high-energy coastlines and represent an important erosional landform of coastal regions.

2. Sea Arch

A sea arch forms when waves erode through a headland or cliff containing cracks and weaknesses. Continuous wave action enlarges caves on opposite sides until they meet, creating a natural arch. Sea arches are temporary features that eventually collapse due to weathering and erosion, forming sea stacks.

3. Sea Stack

A sea stack is an isolated pillar of rock standing offshore. It forms when a sea arch collapses, leaving a resistant rock column behind. Constant wave attack gradually erodes the stack further into a stump. Famous sea stacks are found along rugged coastlines with strong marine erosion.

4. Wave-Cut Platform

A wave-cut platform is a flat, gently sloping rocky surface at the foot of a sea cliff. It forms as waves erode the cliff base and the cliff retreats inland. These platforms become visible during low tide and indicate long-term coastal erosion by marine processes.

5. Sea Cave

A sea cave is a hollow opening formed in coastal cliffs by wave action. Waves exploit joints, faults, and weak rock layers, enlarging them over time. Sea caves are often the first stage in the development of larger erosional features such as sea arches and stacks.

6. Blowhole

A blowhole is a vertical opening in coastal rock connected to a sea cave below. When waves force water and air through the passage, water shoots upward like a fountain. Blowholes are spectacular coastal features formed through prolonged erosion of cliffs and rocky shorelines.

7. Notch

A notch is a small indentation carved at the base of a sea cliff by wave erosion. Hydraulic action and abrasion remove rock near sea level, creating an undercut section. Continued deepening of the notch can weaken the cliff, eventually causing collapse and cliff retreat.

8. Fjord