A stretch of coastline where the mainland descends abruptly into the sea.
View of the steep coast on the island of Dugi Otok in Croatia
A steep coast[1] is a stretch of coastline where the mainland descends abruptly into the sea. There is a sharp transition from the land to sea as opposed to that on a flat coast where the land descends gradually seawards. The height of the land on a steep coast is well above sea level.
Most steep coast are rocky cliffed coasts (also called abrasion coasts), where the erosion processes of wave action result in a steep declivity. Another type of steep coast is the fjord which is formed when a glacial valley lies partially under water as a result of a rise in sea levels. In Norway, New Zealand or Alaska there are fjords whose almost vertical sides tower over 1,000 metres above the water and plunge 300 metres below it.
On volcanic islands the sea can enter the caldera and the face of the volcanic pipe can form a steep coastline. The best-known example of that is Santorini in the archipelago of the Cyclades in Greeces. Fira, the main town of the island, lies on the rim of the caldera which is around 300 metres above the sea and drops below it for another 200 metres.
^Bird, Eric (2008). Coastal Geomorphology: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Wiley, Chichester, 2008.
A steepcoast is a stretch of coastline where the mainland descends abruptly into the sea. There is a sharp transition from the land to sea as opposed...
region, the Amalfi Coast has a Mediterranean climate, featuring warm summers and mild winters. It is located on the relatively steep southern shore of...
a lake island may be called an eyot or ait, and a small island off the coast may be called a holm. Sedimentary islands in the Ganges Delta are called...
A cliffed coast, also called an abrasion coast, is a form of coast where the action of marine waves has formed steep cliffs that may or may not be precipitous...
the eastern coast of Sai Kung Peninsula Guishan Island (Yilan), an island off the northeastern coast of Yilan, Taiwan, also known as Steep Island This...
Approximately one kilometre to the north-west, there is a point on the steepcoast, known as the Gellort, which is a little further north. Directly at the...
designed groyne (too long and not suited to the unique features of the coast) can also accelerate the erosion of the downdrift beach, which receives...
Range. It was named the "Lost Coast" after the area experienced depopulation in the 1930s. In addition, the steepness and related geotechnical challenges...
Steep Point (26°09′08″S 113°09′22″E / 26.152283°S 113.156064°E / -26.152283; 113.156064 (Steep Point)) is the westernmost point of mainland Australia...
Steep Holm (Welsh: Ynys Rhonech, Old English: Ronech and later Steopanreolice) is an English island lying in the Bristol Channel. The island covers 48...
very difficult, as it normally experiences high seas and features a steepcoast.: 59 During the winter, it is surrounded by pack ice. The Bouvet Triple...
Passage as it winds its way among them. The islands have irregular, steepcoasts and dense evergreen and temperate rain forests; most are accessible only...
soil consisting of volcanic ash from neighbouring volcanoes. At the steepcoast of the south, heights reach an average of 35 metres (115 feet), and maximum...
others are rescued from the Anchorage mudflats each year. On the Baltic Sea coast of Germany in places, mudflats are exposed not by tidal action, but by wind-action...
village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based...
and oceanography) and the human geography (sociology and history) of the coast. It includes understanding coastal weathering processes, particularly wave...
steep-walled inlet that is developed in limestone, dolomite, or other carbonate strata and found along the Mediterranean coast. A calanque is a steep-sided...
of the 19th and 20th century), runs up to the steepcoast, up to 30 metres high - where there is a steep flight of steps or a lift to Sellin Pier or the...
very difficult, as it normally experiences high seas and features a steepcoast. During the winter, it is surrounded by pack ice. The exclusive economic...
Aegean Sea. A cliffed coast or abrasion coast is one where marine action has produced steep declivities known as cliffs. A flat coast is one where the land...
western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, located mostly in north-eastern Germany, with a small...
U-shaped valleys into the range, which end abruptly on the east at the steepcoast in deep bays or in outwash flats. On the west the glaciers have cut deeply...
the dune foot is basically determined by finding the intersection of the steep slope of the dune front and of the dry beach. In general, this theoretical...
The Jurassic Coast (also Dorset and East Devon Coast) is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It stretches from Exmouth...
north-eastern part of the peninsula, this height ends on the coast and forms a steepcoast. The smooth part of the peninsula is covered with sand. The...
Global Information