The wearing away of land by the sea.

Find out more about coastal erosion.

The bands of soft rock, such as sand and clay, erode more quickly than those of more resistant rock, such as chalk. This leaves a section of land jutting out into the sea called a headland. The areas where the soft rock has eroded away, next to the headland, are called bays.

Find out more about bays and headlands.

The soft boulder clay holds rainwater and run-off. Waves erode the base of the cliff creating a wave-cut notch. The clay becomes saturated and forms a slip plane. The weight of the saturated cliff causes it to slump.

Find out more about mass movement.

Any three from:

• Waves enter an area of shallow water/waves enter a sheltered area, eg a cove or bay
• There is little wind
• A river or estuary flows into the sea reducing wave energy
• There is a good supply of material and the amount of material being transported is greater than the wave energy can transport.

Find out more about coastal deposition.

Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock through changing its chemical composition.

Find out more about weathering.