3.2.5

Wave-Cut Platforms

Test yourself

Wave-Cut Platforms

Over time, cliffs are eroded by destructive waves, resulting in the formation of wave-cut platforms. This process is described below:

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Stage 1

  • Destructive waves are responsible for most of the erosion at the base of cliffs.
  • Hydraulic action and abrasion wear away the base of the cliff around the high tide mark.
  • Eventually, this erosion causes a wave-cut notch to form.
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Stage 2

  • Continued erosion of the wave-cut notch causes the rock above it to become less and less stable until it collapses.
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Stage 3

  • Waves wash away the debris from the cliff collapse.
  • The destructive waves begin to erode the cliff, causing a new wave-cut notch to form.
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Stage 4

  • As stages 1-3 happen again and again, more debris falls into the ocean and the cliff retreats.
  • What is left behind is called a wave-cut platform.
    • A wave-cut platform is a flat, gently sloping ledge of rock that extends out into the sea from the base of the cliff.

Jump to other topics

1The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1Natural Hazards

1.2Tectonic Hazards

1.3Weather Hazards

1.4Climate Change

2The Living World

3Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1The UK Physical Landscape

3.2Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3River Landscapes in the UK

3.4Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4Urban Issues & Challenges

5The Changing Economic World

6The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1Resource Management

6.2Food

6.3Water

6.4Energy

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