A slot cut into the bottom of a cliff by wave action is known as what?

A slot cut into the bottom of a cliff by wave action is known as what?

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

Answer: (D)

Coastal erosion at the base of cliffs by waves creates characteristic landforms, with the key idea being how undercutting shapes the cliff face. Repeated wave action at the bottom erodes the rock through hydraulic action and abrasion, carving a narrow undercut known as a wave-cut notch. This notch forms at the low point where erosion is strongest. As it deepens, the rock above becomes unstable and may collapse, causing the cliff to retreat and leaving a wave-cut platform at the foot of the cliff. Other features form in different ways: a sea cave is a hollow carved into the cliff, a sea arch is when a cave is cut through to the other side, and a blowhole is a vertical opening that shoots water to the surface. The slot cut into the bottom of the cliff by wave action is the wave-cut notch.

Coastal erosion at the base of cliffs by waves creates characteristic landforms, with the key idea being how undercutting shapes the cliff face. Repeated wave action at the bottom erodes the rock through hydraulic action and abrasion, carving a narrow undercut known as a wave-cut notch. This notch forms at the low point where erosion is strongest. As it deepens, the rock above becomes unstable and may collapse, causing the cliff to retreat and leaving a wave-cut platform at the foot of the cliff. Other features form in different ways: a sea cave is a hollow carved into the cliff, a sea arch is when a cave is cut through to the other side, and a blowhole is a vertical opening that shoots water to the surface. The slot cut into the bottom of the cliff by wave action is the wave-cut notch.