cliff collapse
Precipice giving way
Cliff collapse is the sudden failure and falling away of rock or sediment from a cliff face.
Coastal cliffs collapse from wave erosion undercutting their base; inland cliffs fail from weathering, earthquakes, or water saturation.
The term covers both the event and the resulting debris: The cliff collapse blocked the beach for months.
- landslideMass of earth falling
- rockfallCollapsed cliff material
- falling rocksDescending geological debris
- erosionGradual wearing away
- coastal erosionLand loss at sea edges
crumble · avalanche · precipice · bluff · overhang · ledge · rubble · debris · tumble · unstable · earthquake · natural disaster · coastal · shoreline · sea level rise · warning · danger zone · danger
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