Case Study: Landforms on the Dorset Coast
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 3.2.14
Coastal Landforms on the Dorset Coast
The Dorset Coast is also known as the 'Jurassic Coast'. At Lyme Regis, there are lots of soft rock (like clay and shale). In other parts of the Dorset Coast, there is hard rock (like limestone and sandstone). Some major landmarks on the Dorset Coast are:
Durdle Door
- Durdle Door is a famous arch.
- Arches are created when caves in a headland are fully eroded.
- The headland in Dorset is usually made of limestone and sandstone.
Lulworth Cove
- Lulworth Cove is a bay or cove next to the town of West Lulworth.
- The sea had eroded the soft rock (clay) surrounded by the hard rock (limestone) that makes up the headland at Lulworth Cove.
Chesil Beach
- Chesil Beach is a bar that joins an island and the mainland.
- There is also a lagoon behind the bar at Chesil Beach.
Swanage Bay, the Foreland and Studland Bay
- Studland Bay and Swanage Bay are 2 areas of soft rock that have beaches very close to each other.
- Between Studland Bay and Swanage Bay is a headland (called the Foreland). The Foreland has a stack at the end of it called Old Harry.
Test yourself on Case Study: Landforms on the Dorset Coast
Which of the following coastal landforms is NOT found on the Dorset Coast?
What special type of landform is Chesil Beach?