Formation of landforms

What are the main erosional landforms

Bays + headlands

Cliffs

Wave cut notches, shore platforms

Caves, arches, stacks, stumps

Blowholes

Goes

What’s a Discordant coastline

Where there’s alternating bands of soft and hard rock

How are bays and headlands formed

• discordant coastline is eroded through abrasion

• Rock with weaker lithology retreats faster, forming a bay

• Rock with stronger lithology is not as easily eroded, left sticking out as a headland

How are geo formed

A geo is a narrow steep sided inlet

• faults or joints are eroded by hydraulic action and solution, forming a cave

• Continued erosion by abrasion, pounding and solution causes roof to collapse forming a geo

• (Continued erosion creates a bay)

How’s a blowhole formed

• Faults or joints are eroded by hydraulic action and solution forming a cave

• Continued erosion of vertical fault can create vertical shaft to the top of the cliff, creating a blowhole

• (Continued erosion can cause blowhole roof to collapse forming a geo)

How’s caves formed

• the waves abrade away the rock

• Faults in cliff are exploited by hydraulic action, breaking rock further to form a cave

How are arches formed

• constant erosion ( abrasion and hydraulic action) makes the cave wider and deeper

• The sea cut through to form an arch

How are stacks formed

• the sea erodes the bottom of the arch over time making it wider

• Results in the roof of the arch collapsing, leaving a stack

How are stumps formed

• overtime there will be abrading of the bottom of the stack, collapsing leaving a stump

How are cliffs formed

• the waves abrade the base of rock

• Landslides

• Gradual retreat

How are shore platforms created

• wave cut notch develops, undercutting cliff, cliff collapses leaving shore platforms

How are wave cut platforms created

Wave erosion (hydraulic action, abrasion specifically solution) forms a wave cut notch at the bottom of the cliff between the high and low tide marks this then undercuts the cliff which retreats, this leaves a flat rocky platform then the cliff had been often covered at high tide