Cove facts for kids

McWay Cove in California, United States

A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. Think of it as a mini-bay! Coves often have narrow entrances and are usually round or oval shaped. You can often find them inside a larger bay. They are like small, sheltered corners of the coast, sometimes called inlets or recesses.

People often use the word "cove" to describe any small, protected bay. Geographers might describe coves as rounded, steep-sided openings, like a hollow in a cliff or a valley extending into a mountainside.

A famous example is Lulworth Cove on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. Right next to it, another small cove called Stair Hole is slowly forming.

How Do Coves Form?

This map shows two ways coves can form. The rocks are like those at Lulworth Cove. In example A, a river breaks through hard chalk and limestone. This leaves soft clays to be quickly washed away. In example B, the sea breaks through the hard limestone, maybe by making a cave. Then, it erodes the soft clay behind it.

Coves are created by something called differential erosion. This is a fancy way of saying that different types of rocks wear away at different speeds.

Imagine a coastline with layers of hard rock and soft rock. The softer rocks are much easier for the sea or rivers to erode, or wear away. They get washed away faster than the harder rocks around them.

Over a long time, as the soft rocks are eroded, they form a circular or oval-shaped area. The harder rocks on either side remain, creating a narrow entrance to this new bay. This is how a cove is born!

See also

In Spanish: Ensenada para niños