Term 1

• Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land by wind and water action
• Coastal deposition is the building process by wind and water action
• Examples of erosional landforms include cliffs, caves, gorges, arches, headlands, bays and stacks.
• Examples of depositional landforms include sand dunes, blowout dunes, beaches, spits, lagoons and tombolos
• Cliffs are formed by action of waves on rock. The power of the waves erodes softer rock, leaving the more durable rock behind
• Caves are formed when waves bend around headlands and islands and attack them from the side. When waves encounter a weak spot in the cliff, the wear away the rock. They create a small opening which is soon enlarged into a cave
• Gorges are formed when the roofs of long caves are worn away and collapse
• Arches are formed when waves erode the back of a cave and penetrate though the headland
• Headlands are formed when the softer rock that makes up the coastline is eroded away while the harder rock is left behind
• Bays as formed when the softer parts of a coastline wear away quicker than headlands
• Stacks are formed when the soft rock of arches is eroded by destructive waves and the rock above the arches falls into the sea