Cove

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A cove is a small type of bay or coastal

are often considered coves.

Colloquially, the term can be used to describe a sheltered bay. Geomorphology describes coves as precipitously walled and rounded cirque-like openings as in a valley extending into or down a mountainside, or in a hollow or nook of a cliff or steep mountainside. A cove can also refer to a corner, nook, or cranny, either in a river, road, or wall, especially where the wall meets the floor.

A notable example is Lulworth Cove on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. To its west, a second cove, Stair Hole, is forming.

Formation

Coves are formed by

, which occurs when softer rocks are worn away faster than the harder rocks surrounding them. These rocks further erode to form a circular bay with a narrow entrance, called a cove.

References

• Jackson, Julia A (1997). Glossary of Geology (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Geological Institute. pp. 146–147.
  ISBN 0-922152-34-9
  .
• Clark, John O. E.; Stiegler, Stella (2000). The Facts on File: Dictionary of Earth Science. New York: Market House Books Ltd.