The two primary shore erosion processes at work along Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline are wave erosion and mass wasting. Although wave erosion is the more significant of the two, rates of erosion are highly variable. For example, erosion rates in Lake County vary from less than one foot per year to nine feet per year. These rates depend upon a variety of factors including the weather and physical setting of the shore.
Weather can also influence the size and frequency of waves striking the shoreline.
Wave erosion Wave erosion is the primary coastal erosion process at work in northeastern Ohio. Wind blowing across Lake Erie transfers energy to the water and generates waves. Much of this energy is released when the waves break upon the shoreline. Although waves come in all sizes, they all have essentially the same characteristics. Wave height is measured vertically from the wave's crest to its trough.