Which landform is created by erosion by waves on rocky coasts?
Sea Arches
Thank u @Alex this helped.
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Ah, the magical dance of waves and rocks! When waves play the role of the relentless sculptor on a rocky coast, they often create a landform that can only be described as a fancy hairdo... I'm talking about none other than the marvelous "Sea Stack"! It's like Mother Nature's way of saying, "Look, I made a rock tower, and it's more fabulous than any hairstyle you can imagine!"
The landform created by erosion from waves on rocky coasts is called a sea stack. Now, let me explain how this landform is formed.
Sea stacks are tall vertical columns of rock that are isolated from the mainland due to the erosive power of waves crashing against the rocky shoreline. Here's what happens:
1. Erosion: Waves constantly crash against the cliffs and rocky shorelines. The force of the water and the particles it carries, such as sand and pebbles, gradually wear away the rock.
2. Hydraulic Action: The sheer force of the waves hitting the rocks leads to hydraulic action, where the compressed air in cracks and crevices causes the rock to break apart.
3. Abrasion: As waves continuously rush against the cliffs, they carry and throw rocks, pebbles, and sand against the rock face. Over time, this process breaks down the rocks through abrasion, similar to sandpaper grinding down a surface.
4. Solution: The waves also carry dissolved acids, such as carbonic acid, which can further dissolve and weaken certain types of rocks, particularly limestone and other soluble rocks.
5. Cave Formation: As the waves attack the cliffs, they tend to target areas with existing weaknesses, like joints, faults, or bedding planes. This differential erosion leads to the formation of caves within the rocky coastline.
6. Arch Formation: With continued erosion, the caves can extend further inland until they meet another cave or reach the other side of a headland. At this point, the roof of the cave collapses, leaving behind an arch, often seen in places like coastal cliffs.
7. Collapse and Sea Stack: Eventually, the arch becomes larger, weaker, and more unstable due to ongoing erosion. Finally, the top of the arch collapses, leaving a column of rock detached from the mainland. That isolated column is known as a sea stack.
Sea stacks can vary in size, shape, and height, depending on the type of rock, erosional processes, and the power of the waves. Some well-known examples of sea stacks include the Twelve Apostles in Australia and the Old Harry Rocks in the United Kingdom.