Erosional Landforms
Some of the British Isles most famous erosional landforms are found on the Jurassic Coastline in Dorset. This World Heritage Site stretches over 95 miles, from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon, to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in Dorset. The coastline has a unique geology stretching over 185 million years, and this has contributed to the striking landforms we see today.
A map to show the extent of the Jurrasic Coastline which stretches from near Exmouth to just north of Swanage
Headlands and Bays
Headlands and bays usually form due to the alternating bands of hard and soft rock found on discordant coastlines (see Factors affecting Coastlines).
Hard rocks, such as granite or limestone, are more resistant to erosion and therefore erode slowly. On the other hand, less resistant rock (soft rock) is less resistant to erosion and therefore erodes quicker than hard rock. Examples of less resistant rocks include sands and clays. On discordant coastlines, alternating bands of more and less resistant rock face the sea. The sea erodes the rocks at different speeds and therefore shapes the coast into headlands (protruding more resistant rock) and bays (indented areas of less resistant rock). |