Skip to main content

Kōrero: Coastal erosion

Fiordland coastline

Image
Fiordland coastline

Large waves pound the exposed Fiordland coastline, but these hard, rocky shores are resistant, and erode slowly. The fiords formed when sea levels rose, flooding the U-shaped glacial valleys. Most coastal erosion problems in New Zealand occur on soft shores (sand or gravel) that are exposed to the open sea, rather than hard rocky shores. The landslides visible in this picture were caused by the weather.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

GNS Science

by Graham Hancox

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Willem de Lange, Coastal erosion – Rocky coasts, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/6339/fiordland-coastline (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Willem de Lange, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.