1. Pick out each of the following on this OS map: the main headland, a bay with a sandy beach, a bay without a sandy beach.
2. Several ‘middens’ are shown on the map. Go online to find out what a midden is. What does the presence of middens tell us about the area shown on the map?
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45 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 Feature: Sea Cliff
How a Sea Cliff Forms 1. Waves erode a notch at the base of the cliff by hydraulic action, abrasion and compressed air.
2. When the notch becomes large enough, the overhanging rock collapses under its own weight.
3. A sea cliff has then been formed.
4. The notch continues to erode, so the cliff keeps slowly retreating into the coast. As the cliff retreats, an almost flat, rocky area is created on the shore. This is called a wave-cut platform . The wave-cut platform is usually visible at low tide.
Examples: Cliffs can be seen at the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, and at Howth Head, Co. Dublin.
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FUN FACT! The Cliffs of Moher
stretch for over 8 km and are up to 214 metres high at their highest point. They attract over 1 million tourists each year.