Processes called erosion, mass movement and weathering break down and remove material from the coast. Many factors affect the rates of coastal erosion and the landforms created.
Coastal erosion is the process of the sea wearing away the land. There are four processes which could cause erosion on a cliff:
Sediment is carried by the waves along the coastline. The movement of the material is known as longshore drift. Waves approach the coast at an angle because of the direction of the prevailing wind. The swash will carry the material towards the beach at an angle. The backwash then flows back to the sea, down the slope of the beach. The process repeats itself along the coast in the zig-zag movement.
Beach material can be moved in four different ways. These are: