http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/response/wa-or/locations/98.html

Sea stack along Oregon's northwest coast. Image from USGS Center for Coastal Geology.

Sea Stack

Sea stacks are blocks of erosion-resistant rock isolated from the land by sea. Sea stacks begin as part of a headland or sea cliff. Relentless pounding by waves erodes the softer, weaker parts of a rock first, leaving harder, more resistant rock behind.

Click here to see Jump-off Joe, a sea stack, erode over 100 years.

Return to Where Parks Meet the Sea index


Geology in the National Parks home \| U.S. Department of the Interior \| U.S. Geological Survey Privacy statement / General Disclaimer USGS Western Earth Surfaces Processes Team Webmaster http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/docs/usgsnps/index.html This page was last updated on 01/13/04