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CONNECT
Start thinking like a Geographer
Make sure you have your book, write today’s date and title.
Coastal Erosion Landforms - Cliffs
and Wave Cut Platforms
C
B
1. Name the type of landforms
labelled A and C in Figure 1. (1)
2. Name the type of landform
labelled B in Figure 1. (1)
3. What is the name of the landform
labelled A? (1)
4. What is the name of the landform
labelled B? (1)
A
5. Name the rock that makes up the
coast a the landforms A, B and C. (3)
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
Be READY TO LEARN
ACTIVATE
LO: To explore the characteristics and
formation of the erosion landforms;
cliffs and wave cut platforms.
Think like a Geographer
Write the Learning Objective.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
• I can describe the characteristics of cliffs and wave
cut platforms.
• I can draw a diagram to show the stages in the
formation of a cliff and wave cut platform.
• I can explain the stages in the formation of a cliff
and wave cut platform.
Coastal Erosional Landforms – Cliffs and Wave Cut Platforms
Be READY TO LEARN
ACTIVATE
Start thinking like a Geographer
Make sure you have your book, write today’s date and title.
Coastal Erosion Landforms - Cliffs
and Wave Cut Platforms
C
B
A
1. Headlands (1)
2. Bay (1)
3. Durlston Head (1)
4. Swanage Bay (1)
5. A – Limestone (1)
B – Clay (1)
C – Chalk (1)
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
ACTIVATE
Be READY TO LEARN
Think like a Geographer
Burton Bradstock Cliffs, Dorset, United Kingdom
Characteristics of Cliffs:
45 metres high
Hard Bridport Sandstone
Horizontal Bedding
Layers of harder rock jut
out
Near-vertical bare rock
cliff face
Wave cut notch at the
base
Fallen rocks at the base in
some places.
Characteristics of Wave Cut Platforms:
Slopes gently down to the angle of 3-4 degrees.
An overall pitted appearance of bare rock interspersed
with rock pools.
Bare rock, smoothed in places by abrasion.
Deep cracks in some places.
Covered at high tide and exposed at low tides.
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
ACTIVATE
Be READY TO LEARN
Think like a Geographer
Burton Bradstock, Dorset, United Kingdom
Destructive waves during a storm in
December 2015, caused a cliff to
collapse at Burton Bradstock, Dorset.
WHY?
Can you identify any potential
reasons that their may have been
a cliff collapse?
What might happen next?
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
ACTIVATE
Question Time
Be READY TO LEARN
Think like a Geographer
Which landform do the characteristics describe?
Slopes gently out to see at an angle of 3-4 degrees.
Cliff
Wave cut platform
Bare rock, smooth in places by the process of abrasion.
Cliff
Wave cut platform
Wave cut notch at the base.
Cliff
Wave cut platform
Horizontal bedding.
Wave cut platform
LO: ToCliff
explore the characteristics
and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
ACTIVATE
Be READY TO LEARN
Think like a Geographer
Formation of Cliffs and Wave
Cut Platforms
1. The land slopes down to the sea. Freeze-thaw weathering
weakens the rock.
2. Marine erosion is concentrated between the high and low
tide level. Wave pounding action by hydraulic action, and
abrasion by shingle hurled at the land, erode the base.
3. Continued erosion cause the rock to break away and
collect at the base of the cliff. Destructive waves remove this
material. The cliff now has a wave cut-notch at its base. The
section of cliff above the notch is now unsupported .
4. Eventually, the notch is enlarged to the point where the
notch can no longer defy gravity. It breaks away and falls
onto the beach. The resulting steep drop off is called a cliff.
5. Through a continual sequence of wave-cut notch
formations an cliff collapse, the cliff will gradually retreat. In
it’s place will be a gently sloping rocky platform called a
wave cut platform. This is typically quite smooth due to the
process of abrasion but in some places will be scarred with
rock pools.
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
ACTIVATE
Be READY TO LEARN
Think like a Geographer
Question Time
What is most erosion concentrated between?
Why does the cliff collapse?
A) It can no long hold the weight of the overhanging cliff.
B) After a period of heavy rainfall.
What happens once the overhanging cliff has collapsed?
A) The process starts again with constructive waves eroding
the rock between high and low tide level.
B) The process starts again with destructive waves eroding
the rock between high and low tide level.
wave cut
is theand
result
of a retreating
cliff. landforms; cliffs
LO: ToAexplore
theplatform
characteristics
formation
of the erosion
True OR False
and wave cut platforms.
Be READY TO LEARN
Demonstrate
Think like a Geographer
Label the characteristics of cliffs and wave cut platforms.
Characteristics of Cliffs:
Characteristics of Wave Cut Platforms:
45 metres high
Slopes gently down to the angle of 3-4 degrees.
Hard Bridport Sandstone
An overall pitted appearance of bare rock interspersed with rock
pools.
Horizontal Bedding
Layers of harder rock jut out
Near-vertical bare rock cliff face
Wave cut notch at the base
Bare rock, smoothed in places by abrasion.
Deep cracks in some places.
Covered at high tide and exposed at low tides.
Fallen rocks at the base in some
places.
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
Be READY TO LEARN
Demonstrate
Think like a Geographer
Draw a diagram to show the formation of wave cut platforms.
Make sure you
label it.
Current position
of cliff
Cliff retreats
Original position
of cliff
Cliff is undercut
by wave and
collapses
High tide
Wave cut notch
Wave cut
platform
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
Be READY TO LEARN
Demonstrate
Think like a Geographer
Study Figure 1, which shows the formation of a wave cut platform.
Using Figure 1, explain the formation of wave-cut platforms. (6).
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
L1 (1-2) There is a basic
explanation of how wave cut
platforms are formed.
Y
X
Figure 1
Maximum 4 marks if they haven’t made
reference to X and Y in Figure 1.
L2 (3-4) There is a clear
explanation of how wave cut
platforms are formed.
L3 (5-6) There is a detailed
explanation of how cliffs are
undercut to form wave cut
notches and then wave cut
platforms.
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
Be READY TO LEARN
Demonstrate
Think like a Geographer
Study Figure 1, which shows the formation of a wave cut platform.
Using Figure 1, explain the formation of wave-cut platforms. (6).
MODEL ANSWER:
Y
X
Figure 1
Destructive waves cause erosion at
the foot of the cliff (1) between high
and low tide level (1). This forms a
wave cut notch (1) (X on Figure 1).
The notch is enlarged as erosion
continues until eventually the
overhanging cliff (Y on Figure 1)
becomes unstable and collapses due
to gravity (1). The collapsed rock is
washed away leaving a wave cut
platform (1).
Maximum 4 marks if they haven’t made
reference to X and Y in Figure 1.
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.
Consolidate
Be READY TO LEARN
Think like a Geographer
Write the Learning Objective.
WWW and EBI
(Reflect on Your Own Learning)
What have you done
well in today’s
lesson?
What could you have
done better?
LO: To explore the characteristics and formation of the erosion landforms; cliffs
and wave cut platforms.