Weak swash, strong backwash.

Find out more about destructive waves.

Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical structure (composition).

Find out more about weathering.

A sand dune is a small ridge or hill of sand found at the top of a beach, above the reach of the waves.

Find out more about sand dunes.

A bar is a ridge of sand or single that joins two headlands either side of a bay.

Find out more about landforms of coastal deposition.

The sea attacks a weakness in the base of the cliff. For example, this could be a joint in chalk. A wave-cut notch is created by erosional processes such as hydraulic action and abrasion. As the notch becomes larger the cliff becomes unstable and collapses as the result of gravity. The cliff retreats inland. The material from the collapsed cliff face is eroded and transported away. This leaves a wave-cut platform. The process repeats over time.

Find out more about the formation of a wave-cut platform.