Erosion at the coast

• Headlands and bays

  Soft rock is eroded quicker than hard rock and forms a bay

  When the softer rock is inwards, the hard rock sticks out into the sea, forming a headland
• Wave cut platform

  1. The sea attacks the base of the cliff between the high and low water mark
  2. A wave cut notch is formed by erosional processes such as abrasion and hydraulic action - this is a dent in the cliff usually at the level of high tide
  3. As the notch size increases, the cliff becomes unstable and collapses
  4. The Backwash carries away the eroded material leaving a wave cut platform
• Cave, arches, stacks and stumps

  1. Cracks are widened in the headland through the erosional processes of hydraulic action and abrasion.
  2. As the waves continue to grind away at the crack, it begins to open up to form a cave
  3. The cave becomes larger and eventually breaks through the headland to form an arch
  4. The base of the arch becomes wider through more erosion and the roof becomes too heave and collapses to form a stack
  5. The stack is undercut and collapses to form a stump