Knowra Cliff Cliff A cliff is a steep rock face or slope, often forming the edge of a coast, plateau, or mountain. It develops through processes such as erosion, faulting, or landsliding.
Differential erosion : The uneven removal of rock or soil because materials differ in resistance to weathering and erosion. Resistant layers can stand out as cliff faces while softer layers wear away.
Fault scarp : A steep slope or step created by displacement along a fault. Fault movement can create cliffs without erosion being the primary cause.
Coastal erosion : The wearing away and removal of land along a coastline by waves, currents, and other processes. It drives retreat at many coastal cliffs and threatens nearby land.
White Cliffs of Dover : A stretch of English coastline formed chiefly from Cretaceous chalk. Their bright, retreating faces are a well-known example of coastal cliffs.
Slope : An inclined surface connecting places at different elevations. A cliff is an unusually steep kind of slope, not every inclined landform.
Wave-cut platform : A gently sloping rock surface at a coast, formed as waves erode the base of a cliff. It records cliff retreat as waves cut back the coastal edge.
Escarpment : A long, steep slope or cliff separating elevated terrain from lower ground. Many cliffs form parts of larger escarpments.
Cliff stabilization : Engineering measures used to reduce rockfall, landsliding, or erosion on a cliff or steep slope. These interventions aim to protect roads, buildings, and infrastructure near unstable faces.
Cliffs of Moher : A series of sea cliffs on Ireland’s Atlantic coast, formed mainly from Namurian shale and sandstone. They illustrate steep coastal cliffs cut into layered sedimentary rock.
Bluff : A broad, steep bank or headland, often overlooking a river or coastal plain. Bluffs can resemble cliffs but are often less sheer and more soil-covered.
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