WHAT SHAPES THE COASTS?

Coastlines are constantly changing: they are either being eroded or built up. The waves are very powerful and can remove a large amount of material from a coastline, specially during a storm. The sand and pebbles removed from the coastline are carried by the sea and can be dropped further along a coast or out at sea. Many coastal features can be made by steady erosion of the cliffs and headlands such as sand dunes, spits and salt marshes. A beach can make the waves less powerful and reduce the amount erosion of the coast. Steep cliffs and wave-cut platforms can be formed in areas of hard rock. A bay can be carved out in an area where hard rock between it.