seacliffs

Shoreline rock walls

Seacliffs are steep rock faces along a coastline, formed by wave erosion at the base and weathering from above.

They range from modest bluffs to dramatic vertical walls hundreds of feet high.

The trail wound along the seacliffs above the crashing surf.

Also written as two words: sea cliffs.

formation

bluffs

Misleads about one's position

precipice · overhang · arch · cave · crag · outcrop · basalt · granite · limestone · chalk

wildlife

seabirds

Ocean-dwelling avians

cormorants · gannets · kittiwakes · fulmars · peregrine · nesting · rookery · colonies · ledges · burrows

erosion

weathering

Atmospheric breakdown of materials

retreat · rockfall · landslide · talus · scree · debris · abrasion · slumping · fissure · fracture

scenery

vista

Pleasing distant scene

dramatic · towering · breathtaking · majestic · rugged · windswept · spray · horizon · sunset · silhouette

coastal

shoreline

Land-water boundary

  • wavesTraveling energy disturbances
  • surfWaves near shore
  • breakersWaves that collapse shoreward

swells · tides · saltwater · seaspray · kelp · rockpools · coves · inlet · foreshore · maritime

Opposites
coastal topography

seacliffsbeaches

Sandy coastal areas

sandy beaches · tidal flats · mudflats · coastal plains · salt marshes

terrain accessibility

seacliffsharbors

Sheltered waters for mooring

coves · inlets

elevation/verticality

seacliffssea level

Elevation reference point

ocean floor · seabed · tidal pools · coastal lowlands

Family

sea, cliff, seas, cliffs, seaward, seaborne, seafarer, seafaring, seaside

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G