Photo 2 (Return)

Haven Cliff, 2001. Permeable, seaward dipping Cretaceous Gault Clay, Upper Greensand and Chalk overlie relatively impermeable Triassic marls and clays. Rotational failures occur within the Gault Clay and underlying marls and large Chalk and Greensand blocks have detached and slid en masse downslope to create an undercliff and backscar morphology. Marine erosion at the toe has created steep rockfall dominated sea cliffs within the Triassic Keuper Marls. As they retreat they steepen the profile and unload the undercliff above eventually preparing conditions for renewed major failures at the backscar.