Erosion occurs when elements such as wind, water, and ice remove chunks of land. (“What is Coastal Erosion?”) Coastal erosion occurs when destructive waves wash away parts of the coast. The four ways this occurs are corrosion/abrasion, hydraulic action, friction, and corrosion/solution. ("Internet Geography") Corrosion/abrasion occurs when materials are thrown to the base of cliffs by waves. Hydraulic action occurs when waves hit the base of a cliff and the air is compacted, when the wave leaves the air is expelled and this often causes the material to break. Friction occurs when waves cause rocks and pebbles to crash into each other and eventually shatter. Finally, corrosion/solution occurs when certain types of reefs are eroded due to acids in the sea. ("Internet Geography") Coastal erosion is the natural process of permanently removing land from one place and moving it elsewhere. (“What is coastal erosion?”) Coastal erosion is a widespread and important topic because it can negatively change the environment in which people live. I would like to address issues relating to coastal erosion. Not all coastlines are eroding because coastal land and sediments are constantly changing. Waves moving sand on the coast can sometimes erode sand in one place and deposit it on another beach. That beach would not be directly subject to erosion, so not all coasts are eroding. (“Costs in Crisis”) In this way geologists can understand whether a beach is truly eroding by taking note of the mass of the beach. When erosion occurs it is clear that the beach becomes smaller and smaller due to the sand being washed away and never replenished. There are various n...... half of the document....... 2012. ."Coastal Change." Coasts in crisis. Network. 23 March 2012. "Coastal processes". Internet Geography. Network. March 23, 2012. "Erosion". - Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists. Network. March 23, 2012. Garrison, Tom. "Chapter 12: Coasts." Oceanography: an invitation to marine science. 7th ed. Cengage Learning, 2010. 319+. Print.Photography. Direct science. Network. March 23, 2012. "What is coastal erosion?" Network. March 23. 2012. .