The feature formed when waves cut a notch into the base of a cliff is called what?

The feature formed when waves cut a notch into the base of a cliff is called what?

• A. Sea cave
• B. Sea arch
• C. Wave-cut notch
• D. Sea stack

Answer: (C)

Waves undercut the base of a cliff, wearing away rock to form a wave-cut notch. This notch is the specific hollow created where erosion is most intense at the cliff base. If erosion continues, the rock above the notch can collapse, causing the cliff to retreat and leaving a flat, wave-cut platform beneath. Understanding this sequence helps distinguish other coastal features: a sea cave is a hollow formed within the cliff by wave action, a sea arch forms when a cave extends through to the other side or connects two sides of a headland, and a sea stack is a standalone pillar left after an arch collapses.

Waves undercut the base of a cliff, wearing away rock to form a wave-cut notch. This notch is the specific hollow created where erosion is most intense at the cliff base. If erosion continues, the rock above the notch can collapse, causing the cliff to retreat and leaving a flat, wave-cut platform beneath. Understanding this sequence helps distinguish other coastal features: a sea cave is a hollow formed within the cliff by wave action, a sea arch forms when a cave extends through to the other side or connects two sides of a headland, and a sea stack is a standalone pillar left after an arch collapses.