Geography : Cliffs and Wave-cut Platoform

• Destructive waves at an exposed coast erode a steep coastal slope through processes like hydraulic action and abrasion.
  

• The waves erode along lines of weakness in the rock face to form a notch.

• Continued erosion enlarges the notch and causes its roof to collapse, and a cliff is formed.
  

• Further undercutting at the base of the cliff results in an overhanging cliff which eventually collapses.
  

• As the steep cliff retreats landwards, a flat terrace at the foot of the cliff is exposed --- wave-cut platform or shore platform.

• The eroded materials which are transported away may be deposited in the sea to form an offshore terrace.