Coastal Landforms

Headlands and Bays 

Discordant Coastline (Perpendicular) 

Describe headland and bay 

A headland is made from hard rock such as limestone and it protrudes out into the sea. An example is The Foreland which is 11.5km long and is surrounded by a bay. 

Bays are made from soft rock and can be found on discordant coastlines. An example is Swanage Bay which is 2.5km. 

Explanation

A discordant coastline gets eroded by abrasion and hydarulic action. Abrasion is the sandpapering away of the cliff by the sea's load. The soft rock is less resistant so it is eroded quickly. As a result, the coastline retreats back. This forms bays e.g. Swanage Bay which is made from Wealden Clay. The hard rock is more resistant so it erodes slower than the soft rock meaning that the coastline protrudes out. This forms headlands such as Peveril Point which is made from Purbeck Limestone. As a result, the coastline becomes irregular meaning that wave refraction occurs. This is where the waves bend to mimic the coastline; the waves move slower at the headlands and the orthoganals converge therefore the sea's erosive power is concentrated here. The energy dissipates at the bays as the orthoganals diverge therefore deposition occurs. Deposition is the when the sea slows down, loses energy and…