Sea Cave

ocean · geology · erosion

Waves carve caves. Sea caves form when ocean waves crash against rocky cliffs over many years, slowly wearing away the rock through erosion. This constant pounding gradually hollows out caves right at the edge of the shore.

Norway's giants. Some of the largest wave-cut caves in the world are found along Norway's coast. Many of these caves are now 100 feet or more above the current sea level because the coastline has changed over time.

Caves tell time stories. Some caves are still forming along coastlines today, while others are relict caves, meaning they're leftovers from when the sea level was different. Either way, they're like a record book written by the ocean.

Different starting points. In places like Thailand's Phang Nga Bay, caves started forming through a different process called dissolution in limestone rock. When the sea rose and flooded these caves, ocean waves began enlarging them in a brand new way.