The letters following each Review Question refer to the corresponding Learning Objective from the Chapter Opener. Describe how waves affect a rocky coast and how such coasts evolve. (F)

Waves affect a rocky coast by shaping and modifying it through processes like weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition. Weathering breaks down rocks, making them more susceptible to erosion, which removes and transports materials from the coast, creating features like wave-cut notches, cliffs, and wave-cut platforms. Differential erosion can also lead to the formation of sea arches and stacks. Transportation and deposition contribute to the formation of beaches and other features like spits, bars, and tombolos. The evolution of a rocky coast depends on factors such as wave strength, geological structure, coastal properties, and sediment transport and deposition, ultimately leading to changes in the coastline's configuration over time.