Caves, Arches, Stacks And Stumps Flashcards
What happens to headlands over time?
In time, headlands protruding into the sea will experience the more powerful waves.
What does the sea do to a headland?
The sea will exploit a ‘joint’ in the rocks and widen it in time.
What erosional processes help widen the joint?
Hydraulic action helps widen the joint.
When the joint widens what is formed?
A cave is formed when a joint widens.
What happens if the sea exploits both sides of the headland?
An ‘arch’ is formed if both sides of the headland are being exploited.
What physical processes are in place when the base of the arch is being eroded?
Abrasion
When is abrasion taken place?
When the base of the arch is being eroded abrasion takes place.
How does the roof of the arch collapse?
Freeze thawing causes the roof to collapse.
When the arch collapses and leaves behind and isolated pillar what does it create?
When the arch collapses it creates a stack.
What happens when the stack collapses?
When the stack collapses, due to erosion at the base, it will form a stump.
What is only visible at low tide?
A stump is only visible at low tide.
When does freeze thawing take place?
Free thawing takes place on the roof of the arch.
Order of the process?
- Explosion of a joint.
- Joint widens.
- Hydraulic action attacks forming a Cave.
- Attacks both sides forming an Arch
- base of arch eroded (abrasion) and roof eroded by (freeze thawing).
- Roof collapses.
- Forms stack.
