ABSTRACT
Marine erosion, unlike river erosion, is related not to the amount of water available but to the movements of that water. From a denudational point of view, large–scale ocean currents are not usually effective agents of erosion or transportation, as their velocity is too low to carry any but the finest particles. Generally, however, the most important movement of water on the coast is the wave. Waves are created by the friction of wind blowing over the water surface. The chemical action of sea–water (corrosion) will take place wherever rock and water are in contact but will probably be most important in the zone beneath the active wave zone, where physical erosion is reduced. All points on the coastline receive waves of both types at some time or another. Wave action on an erosional coastline causes the undercutting of coastal slopes. Wave erosion is effective only within the wave zone or above the wave zone.
