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Living on crumbling cliffs
Many cliffs are made of soft rock which continually tumbles into the sea. It is not a good place to build on.
A cliff forms because the sea has cut into the land. Wherever you see a cliff you know the cliff is wearing back, or eroding (picture ).
Although all cliffs erode, some erode faster than others. Cliffs made of the same rock, that face directly into storm winds, will wear away faster than rock that is sheltered. Cliffs made of soft rocks will erode much more quickly than those made from hard rocks.
Low cliffs will always wear away faster than tall cliffs of the same rock, simply because there is less rock for the sea
to erode.
The cliffs that wear away fastest are therefore low cliffs made of soft rock that stand in the full force of storm winds (picture 2).
Building near cliffs
It is always risky to build close to the coast, but especially so where the cliffs are made of soft rock. As waves attack these cliffs, they cause landslides that take huge bites out of the cliff (picture 2 and 3).
  These cliffs in Hawaii give attractive views over the sea but they are made of soft rock which is retreating quickly. You can see this by looking at the buildings closest to the sea. Notice what is happening to car parks, tennis courts and so on.
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