This is an earthcache for Flamborough Head. Flamborough Head has fine examples of many coastal landforms.
Flamborough Head is a chalk headland located on the Holderness Coast.
Chalk is a sedimentary rock which is made up of the bones of thousands of marine animals and invertebrates which would have inhabitated a prehistoric tropical sea.
Headlands are formed when a region of softer rock is eroded away quicker than the surrounding rock. In the case of the Holderness Coast, Flamborough Head is eroding much slower than the surrounding glacial till cliffs which are disappearing very rapidly.
At Flamborough Head there are fine examples of many coastal landforms. There are arches, stacks, stumps and wave cut platforms.
Arches are formed when a headland is hollowed out by the processes of coastal erosion: attrition, abrasion, hydraulic action and corrosion
Stacks are formed when arches are hollowed out so much that the top of the arch becomes too heavy to be supported. The top of the arch eventually collapses into the sea and the stack is left.
Eventually the stack is weathered away by the wind and rain and becomes a small stump.
A wave cut platform is formed when a notch is formed at the base of cliffs by attrition. As time goes on, the notch gets bigger and the cliff collapses as its weight can no longer be supported. The chalk platform is left just a bit higher than the sea bed.
In order to claim this earthcache you will have to take a walk along the coastal paths looking for the features explained.
1) Please take a picture of an arch, stack, stump and a wave cut platform. Include yourself or your GPS in one of them.
2) Estimate the height of the largest sea arch you will see - just a short walk from the Lighthouse.
3) What is attrition?
I hope you enjoy this earthcache. I visited this location a long time ago on a geography field trip.
Please include photographs in your logs and email the answers to the questions to me.
Remember to look out for puffins and seals.
