Cliffed coast
A coastline where steep rock faces meet the sea, commonly shaped by wave erosion and the collapse of weakened rock.
Wave-cut platform: A gently sloping rock surface exposed at low tide, formed as waves erode the base of a coastal cliff. It records cliff retreat as waves cut back the rock face.
Sea cliff: A steep coastal slope or rock face shaped by marine erosion and related slope processes. It is the defining landform of a cliffed coast.
Coastal erosion: The wearing away and removal of land along a coast by waves, currents, weathering, or related processes. Cliff retreat is one visible form of coastal erosion.
White Cliffs of Dover: A stretch of southeast England's coastline formed from white chalk cliffs overlooking the English Channel. Its chalk cliffs illustrate erosion of fractured, relatively soft rock.
Sandy coast: A coastline dominated by beaches and accumulations of sand shaped by waves and currents. Its mobile sediment shore differs from a coast dominated by exposed rock faces.
Hydraulic action: The erosion of rock when water or compressed air forces open cracks and joints. Breaking waves drive water and trapped air into cliff fractures.
Notch (geomorphology): A recess cut into the base of a slope, commonly by wave erosion at a sea cliff. Notches mark concentrated erosion near the waterline.
Coastal management: The planning and actions used to manage coastal hazards, ecosystems, and human uses. Policies determine whether cliff retreat is resisted, accommodated, or allowed.
Jurassic Coast: A fossil-rich stretch of southern England's coastline recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its varied rocks and active cliffs expose contrasting rates of coastal change.
Estuary: A coastal water body where river freshwater mixes with seawater and tides influence circulation. Estuaries are low-lying drowned river mouths rather than steep cliff margins.