Beachy Head is a
chalk headland in
East Sussex,
England. It is situated close to
Eastbourne, immediately east of the
Seven Sisters.
The chalk was formed in the
Late Cretaceous epoch, between 66 and 100 million years ago, when the area was under the sea. During the
Cenozoic Era, the chalk was
uplifted (see
Cenozoic Era). When the last
Ice Age ended, sea levels rose and the
English Channel formed, cutting into the chalk to form the dramatic cliffs along the Sussex coast.
Wave action contributes towards the erosion of cliffs around Beachy Head, which experience frequent small rock falls. Since chalk forms in layers separated by contiguous bands of flints, the physical structure affects how the cliffs erode. Wave action undermines the lower cliffs, causing frequent slab failures - slabs from layers of chalk break off, undermining the upper parts of the cliffs, which eventually collapse.
The headland was a danger to shipping. In 1831, construction began on the
Belle Tout lighthouse on the next headland west from Beachy Head. Because mist and low clouds could hide the light of Belle Tout,
Beachy Head Lighthousewas built in the sea below Beachy Head.
There are an estimated 20 deaths by
suicide a year at Beachy Head.
Source: Wikipedia
