Recently weathered rock can be seen at the foot of chalk and limestone cliffs and is easily identified because it is angular.

Find out more about weathering.

Backwash

Find out more about waves.

Onshore winds (winds blowing inland from the sea) cause the formation of sand dunes at the back of a beach. Sand is deposited by the wind around an object such as a rock, forming embryo dunes. Over time, vegetation such as marram grass stabilises the sand dunes forming foredunes. As the vegetation around the foredunes decomposes nutrients are released and soil begins to form. A wider range of plants are then able to colonise the dunes.

Find out more about sand dunes.

Corrasion is when destructive waves pick up beach material (e.g. pebbles) and hurl them at the base of a cliff. Over time this can loosen cliff material forming a wave-cut notch.

Find out more about coastal erosion.

An offshore bar is a raised area of seabed that is found offshore.

Find out more about landforms of coastal deposition.