Coastal Erosion: The sea plays a vital role in shaping coastal areas by both wearing down and building up land features through the action of waves, currents, tides, and storms. Here’s a breakdown of how the sea’s erosive work is influenced:

• The size and strength of waves impact their erosive potential. More powerful waves can exert significant pressure on coastal features.
• The slope of the land extending into the sea affects how waves interact with it, influencing erosion patterns.
• The height of the shore between low and high tides contributes to the erosive forces. Different elevations experience varying degrees of wave impact.
• The type of rocks present matters. Rocks react differently to wave pressure, and the composition influences how susceptible they are to erosion.
• The depth of the water near the coast also plays a role. Deeper waters may alter wave behavior and affect erosion differently.

The force exerted by waves can be substantial, ranging from 3000 to 30,000 kilograms per square kilometer. This pressure can compress air trapped within rocks, leading to expansion and eventual rupture along weak points, contributing to the wearing down of rocks.

Additionally, waves don’t just act directly on rocks; they use rock debris as tools for erosion. These rock fragments, carried by waves, experience wear and tear as they collide with the coast or other debris.

For certain types of rocks, like limestone and chalk, waves exhibit a chemical action, dissolving and eroding them over time. In studying marine landforms, we can categorize them as either erosional, where features are shaped by the sea’s wearing down action, or depositional, where landforms are formed by the accumulation of sediments and materials carried by the sea.

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