Coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is the removal and transport of rock, sediment, or soil from shorelines by waves, currents, wind, and human activity. It reshapes coasts and can cause land loss.

Wave erosion: The wearing away of coastal rock or sediment by wave impact and the movement of water. Breaking waves exert pressure and carry abrasive sediment that removes shoreline material.
Chesil Beach: A long shingle barrier beach on the Dorset coast of southern England. Its sediment supply and movement illustrate how barrier beaches respond to waves.
Shoreline change analysis: The measurement and interpretation of how a shoreline's position changes over time. It quantifies erosion rates and helps distinguish persistent trends from short-term movement.
Seawall: A coastal structure built parallel to the shore to protect land or infrastructure from waves. It resists landward erosion locally but can alter beaches and neighboring shorelines.
Longshore drift: The movement of sediment along a coast by waves approaching at an angle. It redistributes beach material and can leave some shoreline sections sediment-starved.
Holderness Coast: A rapidly eroding coastline of soft glacial deposits in northeast England. Its cliffs provide a well-documented example of rapid erosion and sediment transfer.
Coastal hazard: A potentially damaging coastal process, including erosion, flooding, and storm impacts. Erosion is assessed alongside other hazards when evaluating risk to people and infrastructure.
Beach nourishment: The placement of additional sand or sediment on a beach to widen or replenish it. It counters sediment loss without fixing the processes that caused erosion.
Undercutting: The removal of material at the base of a slope, cliff, or structure, leaving its upper part unsupported. Wave erosion at a cliff base can trigger collapse and rapid shoreline retreat.
Seven Sisters: A series of chalk cliffs on the south coast of England. Chalk cliff retreat shows how rock resistance and wave action shape erosion.

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