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Why are beaches not found all along the coast? If not beaches, what else can be found along the coast.

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Not all coastlines have beaches. Some have cliffs, such the Great Australian Bight, which forms a significant part of the southern coast of Australia. The limestone cliff portion of the Bight is over 1000 km in length and between 60 and 120 metres in height.

Similarly, in the Otway region of the Australian state of Victoria forested hills form the coast in regions. As can be seen when travelling along the Great Ocean Road.

In Western Australia, the Zuytdorp Cliffs form 150 km of the coast. Like the Great Australian Bight, these cliffs are formed formed of ancient limestone. Some of the cliffs rise to 170 m in height.

Additionally, many of the fjords of Norway and Fiordland in New Zealand also have coastlines without beaches, where hills & ranges meet the sea.

Beaches are only formed when land gently slopes into the sea. They

typically occur in areas along the coast where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments.

The sediments can be sand, pebbles, or biological materials such as shells and coralline algae.

In addition to forming on ocean coastlines, some beach for on lake shores.

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  • $\begingroup$ I guess it depends on the definition of "beach". Even cliffs usually have a collection of sediment at the base/shoreline. The "beaches" in Puget Sound in Washington state, USA are all rounded stones. Doesn't look much like a beach other than that water meets the land. $\endgroup$
    – Tim Nevins
    Commented Aug 30, 2018 at 19:24

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