In this section, you will learn: zz how landforms along the coastline are formed by coastal erosion
zz how to identify landforms formed by coastal erosion
zz how to recognise landforms of coastal erosion on an OS map.
Bay
Headland Sea cliff Notch
High-water mark Low-water mark Undercutting Overhang
The landforms associated with coastal erosion are described and shown below.
Bays and headlands A bay is a curved area where the waves have eroded the coastline. A headland is an area of hard rock jutting into the sea.
Formation: • The coastline is made up of hard rock and soft rock. As waves crash against the coastline, soft rock such as limestone is eroded faster than hard rock such as basalt.
• The processes of hydraulic action, abrasion, compression and, sometimes, solution erode the softer rock to form a bay.
• The harder rock stands out on either side of the bay to form headlands.
• Sometimes beaches form in bays. Example of a bay: Dublin Bay. Example of a headland: Bray Head.
