Coastal Erosion

The Cornish coastline is struggling with erosion this process being worsened with increasing sea levels. Coastal erosion is the process where the coastland is being eaten into and removed by the sea. Currently the Cornish coast is retreating at an ever increasing rate through erosion. Parts of the coast such as that between Penzance and Praa Sands where much of the cliffs are not solid rock are suffering from a high rate of erosion.

Erosion is happening on all of this coast, but much of the coast is hard igneous rock cliff where the effects of the process are hard to see in ones lifetime, while in that of  earthy or sandy cliffs it is obvious.

The sea unceasingly beats against the cliff faces. This continued washing gradually washes out the smaller particles, which leaves the larger stones and rocks uncemented. This leaves cliff faces in a precarious situation as they gradually crumble and fall into the sea.

Erosion of Soft Cliffs Threatening Housing

The affect of erosion can be pronounced at the base of the cliff. This cutting in first forms an overhang which eventually leads to a collapse of the above.

Violent storms will quickly speed up the erosion process particularly so if they are in conjunction with spring tides. The power in the waves, are not only more powerful and reach higher parts of the cliff face, but they will pick up pebbles and pound them on the cliff face.

The problems associated with storms will worsen, as increasing number of storms are forecasted with global warming.