A diversity of landforms

Coastal processes have acted on the rocks to create an enormous variety of coastal landforms - cliffs, beaches, landslides, stacks, arches, bays and caves of unparalleled diversity.

Understanding coastal change

The varied geology of the coast has produced a spectacular laboratory for the modern science of geomorphology - the study of the shape of the land, and the processes that create it.  Coastal landforms are changing all the time under the attack of the sea, frost, rain and human activity.  The modern study of geomorphology looks at how events of different frequencies and sizes produce change.  Small changes, occurring frequently over long periods of time can be just as significant as major events, such as landslides or storms, in creating the shape of the coast.  All that is needed is time!