cove
{{Short description|Small sheltered bay or coastal inlet}}
{{About|the coastal feature}}
{{More footnotes|date=October 2023}}
File:McWay cove 1.jpg, California, United States]]
A cove is a small bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay.{{cite web | url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-bay-gulf-cove-and-fjord.html#:~:text=What%20Is%20A%20Cove?,include%20Lulworth%20and%20Stair%20Hole | title=What is the Difference Between a Bay, Gulf, Cove, and Fjord? | date=16 March 2018 }} Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/cove|title=Thesaurus.com - The world's favorite online thesaurus!|website=Thesaurus.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cove|title=Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words|website=Dictionary.com}}
Colloquially, the term can be used to describe a sheltered bay. Geomorphology describes coves as precipitously walled and rounded cirque-like openings like 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.
Formation
Image:Figure lulworth formation.png. In example A, a river breaks through the resistant chalk back rock and limestone, leaving the weak clays to be rapidly eroded. In example B, the sea breaks through the limestone, perhaps by forming a cave, and then erodes the clay away.]]
Coves are formed by differential erosion, 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. Another way is that waves can transport rocks and sediment towards cliffs or rock faces, which helps erode softer rock and gradually form coves due to friction. Additionally, rivers or streams that flow into the sea can contribute to creating natural harbors. "Over time, the sediment carried by the flow of the water will help erode any soft, rocky areas," leading to the formation of a cove.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Tynemouth |date=June 10, 2023 |title=How are Coves Formed? |url=https://www.tynemouthaquarium.co.uk/blog/fun/how-are-coves-formed/#:~:text=Harsh%20weather%20can%20cause%20water,others%20are%20shallow%20and%20wide.}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{wiktionary|cove}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book|title=Glossary of Geology|publisher=American Geological Institute|author=Jackson, Julia A|year=1997|location=Alexandria, VA|pages=146–147|isbn=0-922152-34-9|edition=4th}}
- {{cite book|title=The Facts on File: Dictionary of Earth Science|publisher=Market House Books Ltd|year=2000|location=New York|last1=Clark|last2=Stiegler|first1=John O. E.|first2=Stella}}
{{coastal geography}}
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