A cove is a small bay or coastal

inlet An inlet is a typically long and narrow indentation of a shoreline such as a small arm, cove, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In ...

. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a

coast A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

are often considered coves. Colloquially, the term can be used to describe a sheltered bay.

Geomorphology Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand wh ...

describes coves as precipitously walled and rounded

cirque A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...

-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

Coves are formed by

differential erosion Weathering is the deterioration of Rock (geology), rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs ''in situ'' (on-site, with litt ...

, 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.

References

Sources

* * Coves Bodies of water {{topography-stub