Cliffed coast
A coast shaped by wave erosion into steep cliffs.
A cliffed coast, also called an abrasion coast, is a form of coast where the action of marine waves has formed steep cliffs that may or may not be precipitous. It contrasts with a flat or alluvial coast. The formation involves continuous wave action (abrasion) creating a wave-cut notch, undercutting the cliff until it collapses, causing the shoreline to recede inland.
- type
- Coastal landform
- also_known_as
- Abrasion coast
- contrasts_with
- Flat or alluvial coast
- key_process
- Abrasion by marine waves
- examples
- Red Cliff on Sylt, chalk cliffs of southern England, Lange Anna on Heligoland, Old Harry Rocks in Dorset
Lore & Background
Cliffed coasts form in areas where the land surface dips steeply below the water table. The continuous action of waves, known as abrasion, creates a steep declivity called a cliff. The slope angle depends on jointing, bedding, hardness of materials, and erosional processes. Waves attack the cliff-foot, forming a wave-cut notch and an overhang that eventually collapses under its own weight. The loose debris is carried away by the sea, and the shoreline recedes inland. The speed of recession varies: the Mecklenburg coast in Germany recedes about 25 centimetres per year, while the chalk cliffs of southern England retreat just half a centimetre annually.
Reader's Guide
Cliffed coasts are significant as dynamic landforms that illustrate coastal erosion processes. They can be composed of loose bedrock, such as the Red Cliff on Sylt, or hard rock like the red sandstone cliffs on Heligoland. On rocky cliffed coasts made of resistant material like sandstone, limestone, or granite, a wave-cut platform forms in front of the cliff. If tectonic uplift occurs, these platforms become coastal terraces, allowing calculation of uplift relative to sea level. On less resistant coasts, a beach forms instead. Wave action can carve natural arches and, upon collapse, leave stacks like the Lange Anna on Heligoland or Old Harry Rocks in Dorset. General weathering also drives coastline retreat. Living cliffs are actively eroding and receding, while dead cliffs are only reached by very high waves and show little change, often covered with vegetation. Examples of living cliffs include the Red Cliff on Sylt and the chalk cliffs on the Jasmund Peninsula; the Königsstuhl on Rügen is a dead cliff. Steep sea cliffs can also result from catastrophic debris avalanches on submerged flanks of ocean island volcanoes.
Did You Know?
- The Mecklenburg coast in Germany recedes by about 25 centimetres per year, while the chalk cliffs of southern England retreat by just half a centimetre each year.
- A cliffed coast can be made of loose bedrock, such as the Red Cliff on the German island of Sylt, or hard rock like the red sandstone cliffs on Heligoland.
- When waves carve notches on both sides of a promontory, a natural arch may form; when the arch collapses, a stack is left behind, such as the Lange Anna on Heligoland.
- Living cliffs are actively eroding and receding, while dead cliffs are only reached by very high waves and are often covered with vegetation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cliffed coast?
A cliffed coast is a coastal landform in which persistent marine wave action has sculpted the shoreline into steep rock faces. It represents a coast dominated by erosive rather than depositional processes.
How does a cliffed coast actually form?
Waves continuously batter the base of the coastal rock, carving out a wave-cut notch that undercuts the cliff face. Once the overhanging material loses support, sections collapse, and the shoreline steadily retreats inland.
What other name do geomorphologists use for a cliffed coast?
It is also widely called an abrasion coast, a label that emphasizes the grinding and scraping action of waves and carried sediment against the rock as the principal shaping mechanism.
Where can you see well-known examples of cliffed coasts?
Classic examples include the Red Cliff on the German island of Sylt, the white chalk cliffs of southern England, the Lange Anna formation on Heligoland, and the Old Harry Rocks in Dorset.
How does a cliffed coast differ from a flat or alluvial coast?
Instead of a gently sloping, sediment-filled shoreline, a cliffed coast presents a sharp, near-vertical drop from land to sea. The key distinction is that wave erosion dominates the landscape, producing dramatic rock faces rather than broad, flat beaches.
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