Erosion

• Types of erosion:

  • Attrition
  • Abrasion
  • Hydraulic power
  • Solution
• Attrition - when rocks and stones on the sea bed bang against each other, chipping bits off, making the rock rounder and smaller.
• Abrasion - when the material being carried by the sea hits cliffs, which causes pieces to break off and smooth them, like sandpaper.
• Hydraulic power - when the force of waves pushes into cracks in cliffs, trapping air bubbles, causing pressure, which eventually leads to them breaking apart.
• Solution (erosion) - when rocks (e.g. chalk and limestone) are dissolved in the sea, and carried away as dissolved material.