Headlands and bays

Formation of headlands and bays

• Waves attack a discordant coastline*.

• The soft rock is eroded more quickly than the hard rock.

• The eroded material piles up in the bay  forming a beach. 

• The headlands remain protruding out further than the bay.

 

*Discordant coastline - A discordant coastline occurs where bands of different rock type run perpendicular to thecoast. The differing resistance to erosion leads to the formation of headlands and bays.

Caves, arches, stacks and stumps

What coastal processes shape the coasts?

Hydraulic action –

 
Corrosion –
Attrition – 

Abrasion - 

the weight of a wave crashing on a cliff face, pushing the air in cracks and caves, under pressure, to force open the crack/cave
chemicals in the sea water dissolve the rocks
small rocks are smashed against each other making smaller rocks.
little rocks getting picked up by the waves and being smashed on to the cliffs

Tides –

 

Waves –

 

Sea level change –

Currents –

Longshore drift – 

the rising and falling of the sea caused twice a day by the moon’s gravity

long bodies of water, created by the wind, crashing on the shore

higher sea levels lead to greater erosion shaping the coasts.

water moving in a certain direction, like wind in the air, currents in the sea carries sand down the beach

Are these coastal features formed by erosion? or deposition?

Here is a list of features that can be found at coasts.

 

Group them into two groups:

1  Formed by erosion

2  Formed by deposition.

bay

cape

cove

gulf

headland peninsula

cave

stack

stump

beach  

dunes  

cliff

spit  

lagoon

salt marsh

fjord 

arch