landforms

• define geos - created by erosion

  • deep and narrow gap in cliff face = expands over a long period of time
  • formed by processes acting on a vertical fault or joint
  • erosion processes acting on resistant geology
• define blowholes - created by erosion

  • deep caves recessed into cliff face that connects to top of cliff
  • allows water that enters by wave pounding to spray upwards
  • erosion processes acting on resistant geology
• define headlands and bays - created by erosion

  created where coast line is discordant

  • less resistant geology = erodes faster and retreats landward = creates shallow bay, wide beach and fine sediment.
  • more resistant geology = erodes slower, creating a headland = exposed to marine processes from all sides = increases erosion rate and narrows headland.
• define wave cut platforms - created by erosion

  • flat intertidal surfaces of resistant rock
  • horizontal geological structure
  • resistant rock underlies a cliff face of less resistant rock
• 1. caves
  2. arches
  3. stacks
  4. stumps

  • caves can exist anywhere with resistant geology
  • the rest can only exist after a cave has grown through a headland = narrow headland has higher chance of becoming an arch.
• define caves - created by erosion

  • formed as wave energy impacts intertidal cliff face
  • formed on more resistant geology = less likely to collapse
• define arch - created by erosion 


  when the cave penetrates to the other side of the headland
• define stack - created by erosion

  arch widens with erosion = eventually collapses by mass movement = leaves a stack
• define stump - created by erosion

  formed once stack collapses