Types of Marine Erosional Landforms

Marine Erosional Landforms

1. Chasms
# These are narrow, deep indentations (a deep recess or notch on the edge or surface of something) carved due to headward erosion (downcutting) through vertical planes of weakness in the rocks by wave action.

# With time, further headward erosion is hindered by lateral erosion of chasm mouth, which itself keeps widening till a bay is formed.

2. Wave-Cut Platform

# When the sea waves strike against a cliff, the cliff gets eroded (lateral erosion) gradually and retreats.

# The waves level out the shore region to carve out a horizontal plane or a wave-cut platform.

# The bottom of the cliff suffers the maximum intensive erosion by waves and, as a result, a notch appears at this position.

3. Sea Cliff

# Shoreline marked by a steep bank (escarpment, scarp).

4. Sea Caves

# Differential erosion by sea waves through a rock with varying resistance across its structure produces arched caves in rocks called sea caves.

5. Sea Arches

# When waves from opposite directions strike a narrow wall of rock, differential erosion of the rock leaves a bridge like structure called Sea arch.

# Stacks/Skarries/Chimney Rock
When a portion of the sea arch collapses, the remaining column-like structure is called a stack, skarry or chimney rock.
 

6. Hanging Valleys

# If the fluvial erosion of a stream at the shore doesn’t match the retreat of the sea, the rivers appear to be hanging over the sea. 
# These river valleys are called hanging valleys.

7. Blow Holes or Spouting Horns

# The burst of water through a small hole on a sea cave due to the compression of air in the cave by strong waves. They make a peculiar noise.

8. Plane of Marine Erosion/Peneplain

# The eroded plain left behind by marine action is called a plain of marine erosion. If the level difference between this plain and the sea level is not much, the agents of weathering convert it into a peneplain.