A Feeder bluff is a coastal

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...

that, through erosion and weathering, provides sediment to down-current beaches as a result of

littoral drift Longshore drift from longshore current is a geological process that consists of the transportation of sediments (clay, silt, pebbles, sand, shingle, shells) along a coast parallel to the shoreline, which is dependent on the angle of incoming w ...

. First discussed at

Western Washington University Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington, United States. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, s ...

, the term ''feeder bluff'' is primarily used to describe eroding bluffs in the

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...

region of the United States. A bluff will be more susceptible to

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of 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 little or no move ...

and

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

if it contains unconsolidated

sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

(such as silt or sand), softer (or more erodible) rock, fissures or

fractures Fracture is the appearance of a crack or complete separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress (mechanics), stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacemen ...

. Wave activity and power will also contribute to the rate of erosion. A bluff will retreat away from the ocean as the erosion processes continue. Although coastal processes can be complex, feeder bluffs are recognized as an important source of sediment for building and maintaining nearby beaches. Practices of armoring beaches and bluffs against erosion have caused beaches and habitats to erode away due to the decreased availability of sand and gravel. One of the goals of the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project is to reverse this process by identifying and removing bulkheads from beaches and bluffs. In 2013 the Washington State Department of Ecology completed mapping and categorization of feeder bluffs in the Puget Sound, finding they make up about 426 Miles (17%) of the shoreline. The data has been made available at th
Washington State Coast Atlas

References

Further reading