The following page will discuss wave erosin and mass wasting in more detail. A graph of the process of Wave Erosion showing the direction of wave movement and the wave height and length. Wind blowing across Lake Erie transfers energy to the water and generates waves. Although waves come in all sizes, they have essentially the same characteristics. Every wave has a crest and trough, however the wave height and length is the factor that distinguishes waves from one another.
Waves break against the shore releasing varying amounts of energy.
The amount of energy released is dependant upon the slope of the bottom and the wave height. More erosion occures during storms and high water levels than at any other time. This is another common erosion phenomenon along the northeastern shore of Ohio. This downward movement has various and sometimes complex causes. When waves undercut the foot of a bluff they reduce the stability of the material above.