Coasts, which is a posh word for a beach, affect the landscape around us.

Erosion and abrasion

  1. The process happening here is called abrasion. This is when the sea throws pebbles at the rocks as if it was sandpaper.
  2. This is the first stage of erosion, where the sea eats into the rock, carving a cave or a tunnel into it.
  3. The second stage of erosion is when the salt water dissolves the soluble rock.
  4. In this diagram, the process happening here is called transportation. This is when the sea drives the rock from the stump to somewhere else.

Coastal defences

Coastal defences delay the rate of erosion (the sea eating the rock away) so our coastline stays mainly as it is for centuries to come. The most common defences are: