The Natural Process Erosion is when wind, water, and ice take away sediments of land. Sediment is made of rocks, dirt, and earth. Erosion by wind action occurs mostly on beaches and in deserts, because there is no continuous vegetation or plants. Wave erosion, which occurs along beaches and coasts, is caused by the impact of breaking waves on the land.
Coastal erosion occurs along beaches and shorelines.
Both wind action and water action have important parts in this process and constantly change the boundary between land and water. Coastal erosion takes land away forever from one area to deposit it someplace else. The beach is constantly pounded by waves which eventually break fragments of ground and rock into sand. How hard a beach is hit by waves depends on lunar tides and differences in water density. There is no continuous groundcover on the beach, so sand dunes form easily.