rank chalk, granite, clay and - aqa...

Rank chalk, granite, clay and limestone from 1-4 (1 being the most resistant to erosion and weathering)

Headlands and bays

Areas of the coast which have soft rocks are worn away more easily than those with hard rocks. The soft rock areas become bays and the hard rock areas become headlands. A bay is an opening in the coastline, whereas a headland is a stretch of land jutting out to sea.

Headlands and Bays

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Dorset coastline

The Dorset coastline has changed because of it’s different geology. The area in the SW at Durdle Door has eroded...

© Boardworks Ltd 20057 of 43

The waves attack the base of the cliff through the processes of

corrasion, attrition, solution and hydraulic action.

Over time the cliff will be undercut and a wave-cut notch is formed.

Eventually the cliff becomes unstable and collapses. Further cliff

retreat will form a wave-cut platform, which is made smooth by the

sea.

Wave-cut platform

Is it a good time to go rock pooling after a period of stormy weather? Explain your answer.

Challenge question:

Why do sandy beaches have gentler sloping beaches compared to shingle and pebble beaches?

Old Harry and his wife

Coastlines where the geology alternates between strata (or bands) of

hard rock and soft rock are called discordant coastlines. A concordant

coastline has the same type of rock along its length. Concordant

coastlines tend to have fewer bays and headlands.

Caves, arches, stacks and stumps

The formation of caves, arches, stacks and stumps

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