Erosional Landforms

Coasts II: Landscapes and Landforms

In this course, Dr Chris Spencer (University of the West of England) explores coastal landscapes and landforms, and the processes behind them. In the first module, we consider landscapes produced by cliff erosion, thinking about processes such as hydraulic action and abrasion, and the development of landforms like caves and stumps. The second module then outlines how sediment transport and deposition processes shape the coast, and looks at the formation of features like spits and tombolos. In the third module we turn to coastal sand dunes, in terms of the conditions required for their development and how they evolve over time. We conclude with a fourth module on low energy coastlines, the processes which dominate on them, and the landforms they produce, most notably salt marshes.

Erosional Landforms

In this module, we think about coastal landscapes and landforms created by cliff erosion, focusing on: (i) the importance of erosion within the wider coastal system, for example in the provision of sediment; (ii) two key erosional processes – hydraulic action and abrasion – and the factors which influence their efficiency along different parts of a cliff face, for example variations in rock strength and wave energy; (iii) the development of wave cut notches and platforms, and the process of cliff retreat; (iv) factors influencing the shape of coastal cliffs, including the orientation of their bedding planes and their rock strength; (v) how erosional landforms on headlands develop over time, from small cracks to caves, and eventually offshore stumps.