A wave-cut platform, shore platform, coastal bench, or wave-cut cliff is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion. Wave-cut platforms are often most obvious at low tide when they become visible as huge areas of flat rock. Sometimes the landward side of the platform is covered by sand, forming the beach, and then the platform can only be identified at low tides or when storms move the sand.
Wave-cut platform at Southerndown, South Wales, UK
Wave-cut platforms form when destructive waves hit against the cliff face, causing an undercut between the high and low water marks, mainly as a result of abrasion, corrosion and hydraulic action, creating a wave-cut notch. This notch then enlarges into a cave. The waves undermine this portion until the roof of the cave cannot hold due to the pressure and freeze-thaw or biological weathering acting on it, and collapses, resulting in the cliff retreating landward. The base of the cave forms the wave-cut platform as attrition causes the collapsed material to be broken down into smaller pieces, while some cliff material may be washed into the sea. This may be deposited at the end of the platform, forming an off-shore beach.
Because of the continual wave action, a wave-cut platform represents an extremely hostile environment and only certain organisms can utilize such a niche.
Use of ancient examplesedit
Ancient wave-cut platforms provide evidence of past sea and lake levels. Raised and abandoned platforms, sometimes found behind modern beaches, are evidence of higher sea levels in the geological past,[1] and have been used to identify areas of isostatic adjustment. By using scientific dating methods, or examination of marine fossils found on the platform, it is possible to work out when the platform was formed, thus giving geographers and geologists information about sea levels at known times in the past. This has been used in the United Kingdom and other previously glaciated areas to calculate the rate at which land is rising now that it is no longer covered in ice.
Where the coastline itself is changing due to seismic action, there may be a series of platforms showing earlier sea levels and indicating the amount of uplift caused by various earthquakes.
Usage of term 'wave-cut'edit
According to Trenhaile,[2] Sunamura,[3] and Massalink and Hughes,[4] the term 'wave-cut platform' should no longer be used as it assumes that shore platforms are the result of wave action, which is not always true. Shore platforms, like comparable river and lake platforms, are erosional features that develop when removal of saprock and other debris by waves and currents leaves behind a bedrock surface below the water table.[5]
^Wilson, M.A., Curran, H.A. and White, B. 1998: Paleontological evidence of a brief global sea-level event during the last interglacial. Lethaia 31: 241-250. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2009-10-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Trenhaile, A. S. 1987: The Geomorphology of Rock Coasts. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.) 393 pp.
^Sunamura, T., 1992. Geomorphology of rocky coasts. New York: John Wiley.
^Masselink, G and Hughes, M. 2003. Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphology. Hodder Arnold
^Retallack, G.J. and Roering, J.J. 2012: Wave-cut or water-table platforms of rocky coasts and rivers? GSA Today 22(6), 4-9.
May 04, 2024
wave, platform, wave, platform, shore, platform, coastal, bench, wave, cliff, narrow, flat, area, often, found, base, cliff, along, shoreline, lake, that, created, erosion, often, most, obvious, tide, when, they, become, visible, huge, areas, flat, rock, somet. A wave cut platform shore platform coastal bench or wave cut cliff is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake bay or sea that was created by erosion Wave cut platforms are often most obvious at low tide when they become visible as huge areas of flat rock Sometimes the landward side of the platform is covered by sand forming the beach and then the platform can only be identified at low tides or when storms move the sand Wave cut platform at Southerndown South Wales UKContents 1 Formation 2 Use of ancient examples 3 Usage of term wave cut 4 See also 5 ReferencesFormation edit nbsp The formation of a wave cut platform Wave cut platforms form when destructive waves hit against the cliff face causing an undercut between the high and low water marks mainly as a result of abrasion corrosion and hydraulic action creating a wave cut notch This notch then enlarges into a cave The waves undermine this portion until the roof of the cave cannot hold due to the pressure and freeze thaw or biological weathering acting on it and collapses resulting in the cliff retreating landward The base of the cave forms the wave cut platform as attrition causes the collapsed material to be broken down into smaller pieces while some cliff material may be washed into the sea This may be deposited at the end of the platform forming an off shore beach Because of the continual wave action a wave cut platform represents an extremely hostile environment and only certain organisms can utilize such a niche Use of ancient examples editAncient wave cut platforms provide evidence of past sea and lake levels Raised and abandoned platforms sometimes found behind modern beaches are evidence of higher sea levels in the geological past 1 and have been used to identify areas of isostatic adjustment By using scientific dating methods or examination of marine fossils found on the platform it is possible to work out when the platform was formed thus giving geographers and geologists information about sea levels at known times in the past This has been used in the United Kingdom and other previously glaciated areas to calculate the rate at which land is rising now that it is no longer covered in ice Where the coastline itself is changing due to seismic action there may be a series of platforms showing earlier sea levels and indicating the amount of uplift caused by various earthquakes Usage of term wave cut editAccording to Trenhaile 2 Sunamura 3 and Massalink and Hughes 4 the term wave cut platform should no longer be used as it assumes that shore platforms are the result of wave action which is not always true Shore platforms like comparable river and lake platforms are erosional features that develop when removal of saprock and other debris by waves and currents leaves behind a bedrock surface below the water table 5 nbsp Raised beach and shore platform Bleik Norway nbsp Shore platforms from Lake Bonneville Pleistocene Utah United States nbsp Shore platform at St Bees Head UK nbsp Jurassic wave cut platform at Tedbury Camp southern England nbsp Commonly called a rock platform in Australia these two examples at Austinmer N S W are typical of many on the coast of south eastern Australia nbsp The rock platform at Long Reef N S W Australia nbsp Wave cut notch and submerged platform in Elet Island Busuanga Palawan PhilippinesSee also editBeach Bench geology Machair Marine terrace Paleoshoreline Raised beach Raised shorelines Strandflat Terrace geology References edit Wilson M A Curran H A and White B 1998 Paleontological evidence of a brief global sea level event during the last interglacial Lethaia 31 241 250 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2011 01 12 Retrieved 2009 10 28 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Trenhaile A S 1987 The Geomorphology of Rock Coasts Oxford University Press Oxford U K 393 pp Sunamura T 1992 Geomorphology of rocky coasts New York John Wiley Masselink G and Hughes M 2003 Introduction to Coastal Processes and Geomorphology Hodder Arnold Retallack G J and Roering J J 2012 Wave cut or water table platforms of rocky coasts and rivers GSA Today 22 6 4 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wave cut platform amp oldid 1216607492, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
