What processes cause coastal erosion?
There are several reasons that cause erosion of the coast. First is water, rain and wave action. As the sea water breaks in waves on the shore line, that water recedes (under-toe) back into the ocean taking with it sand, soil, stones and an immense amount of sediment. Eventual shore line are altered and erode the land surface further. This has been noticed in the extreme when hurricanes hit the eastern and south eastern coasts of America. The Gulf of Mexico shorelines are also a major area for erosion from Florida to Texas and around the coast to South America. (Hurricane Hugo, Katerina etc) Another is “on-shore winds”. This action picks up sand and small particles and again, over time will cause additional erosion. Man also has caused severe erosion by introducing chemical waste, building huge complexes (Miami, Saudi Arabia, etc.) and altering the directions of river which erodes shore lines where those rivers never flowed (The Russian Volga River). And building huge expensive homes o
