Processes of Erosion
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 3.2.4
Processes of Erosion
Erosion is the wearing away of rock by natural forces like waves or wind. The sea can build up a lot of energy and move quickly with a lot of force. This can make erosion happen faster. The types of erosion that affect coasts are:
Hydraulic power
- Hydraulic action is where the force of waves hits against a cliff face and causes rock to break off.
Abrasion
- Abrasion is where pieces of material are picked up by waves and hit or scrape against the sea bed or the side of a cliff.
- This wears away the sea bed or cliff because the material acts like sandpaper.
Attrition
- Attrition is where different bits of material carried by waves in seawater hit against each other.
- This causes them to break apart but also become smaller and more rounded.
Solution
- Solution is where weak acids in seawater dissolve soluble rocks like chalk and limestone.
Test yourself on Processes of Erosion
What are the processes of erosion that affect coastal landscapes?
Which process of erosion involves pieces of bedload hitting into one another?
Which process of erosion involves pieces of materials being picked up by waves and hit against the sea bed or cliffsides?