EXPLORATION: Weathering and Erosion

5. Coastal Erosion

The ocean is a huge force of erosion. Coastal erosion—the wearing away of rocks, earth, or sand on the beach—can change the shape of entire coastlines. During the process of coastal erosion, waves pound rocks into pebbles and pebbles into sand. Waves and currents sometimes transport sand away from beaches, moving the coastline farther inland.

Coastal erosion can have a huge impact on human settlement as well as coastal ecosystems. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, for example, was nearly destroyed by coastal erosion. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built on the Outer Banks, a series of barrier islands off the coast of the U.S. state of North Carolina, in 1870. At the time, the lighthouse was nearly 457 meters from the ocean. Over time, the ocean eroded most of the beach near the lighthouse. By 1970, the pounding surf was just 37 meters away and endangered the structure. Many people thought the lighthouse would collapse during a strong storm. Instead, it was moved 880 meters inland. Below, you can see a photo of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse being moved. Photo from National Park Service. 

The battering force of ocean waves also erodes seaside cliffs. The action of erosion can create an array of coastal landscape features. For example, erosion can bore holes that form caves. When water breaks through the back of the cave, it can create an arch. The continual pounding of waves can cause the top of the arch to fall, leaving nothing but rock columns called sea stacks. The sea stacks at San Josef Bay (below), on Vancouver Island are among the most dramatic and well-known of these features of coastal erosion.

photo above Nick Smith

text on this page from National Geographic - Erosion