Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, drainage or high winds.
There are four main processes which cause coastal erosion. These are corrasion/abrasion, hydraulic action, attrition and corrosion/solution.
Beaches and Coastlines
Implement Setbacks and Land Use Zoning
Engineering Approaches
Prevent Sand Mining
Corrasion/abrasion is when waves pick up beach material (e.g. pebbles) and hurl them at the base of a cliff. When waves hit the base of a cliff air is compressed into cracks.