Wide beaches, shallow near shore slopes and near shore bars all absorb energy thus reducing the amount of wave energy that reaches the shore. Shallow near shore slopes and near shore bars cause large waves to break and expend much of their energy offshore. The resulting smaller waves contain less energy and cause less shoreline erosion. Weather directly influences coastal erosion rates because it affects the size of wave-related forces. This storm surge created one of the highest water level differences ever recorded on Lake Erie.
More erosion occurs during storms and high water levels than at any other time.
Ice can have a moderating effect on erosion as it serves to protect the near shore area from the effect of late winter storms and waves. A solid sheet of ice covering the lake or near shore areas of the lake can prevent wind from hitting the surface of the water and can in turn prevent new waves. However, once the ice sheet has broken, this moderating effect is no longer felt. Mass wasting Mass wasting, the downward movement of a large mass of material, is another common erosion phenomenon along the northeastern shore of Ohio. This downward movement has various and sometimes complex causes.