Lulworth Cove, Dorset
Lulworth Cove is near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset. The cove is one of the world's finest examples of such a landform, and is a tourist location with approximately 500,000 visitors a year. The cove has formed because there are bands of rock of alternating resistance running parallel to the shore. On the seaward side the clays and sands have been eroded away. A narrow band of Portland limestone rocks forms the shoreline. Behind this is a band of slightly less resistant Purbeck limestone. Behind this are 300–350 metres of much less resistant clays. Forming the back of the cove is a 250 metre wide band of chalk, which is considerably more resistant than the clays and sands, but less resistant than the limestones. The entrance to the cove is a narrow gap in the limestone bands. This was formed by a combination of erosional processes from wave action and weathering. The wide part of the cove is where the weak clays have been eroded. At the back of the cove, the sea has been unable to erode the chalk as fast. The unique shape of the cove is a result of wave diffraction. The narrow entrance to the cove ensures that as waves enter they bend into an arced shape.
Size: 4466px × 2969px
Location: Wareham BH20, UK
Photo credit: © Ruth Craine / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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