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Sometimes, the rocks along a coastline have a crevice or hole just above the low-tide mark. When the high tide rushes in, the crevice fills up with water, which tries to escape through this narrow hole. The build-up of pressure sprays out the water as an upward plume with a loud sound. This is a blowhole. Over time, a blowhole can create caves or even a pool of water near the coast. |
When sea caves grow towards the land and upwards creating a vertical shaft that exposed on the surface, it results in a blowhole. Water often gushes out at the top part of the landform when waves move to the sea cave with significant force. The activities of the blowhole depend on the sea conditions as well as its geometry and that of the sea cave. A blowhole is characterized by an opening on the ground and a connection to an opening which interacts with the sea, mostly a cave.
Sea Caves are a common feature along the coasts and are formed through mechanical erosion of cliffs. Parts of weakness in the cliffs are weathered out by wave action thereby forming large cavities known as sea caves. These caves are regularly exposed to waves. Hydraulic pressure, built up by a succession of waves, eventually carves out a hole at the top of the cave to create an opening for water pressure to be expelled as a jet of spray. A blowhole can also be formed when lava flows make openings in the ground which extend towards the sea. The landform manifests as a crack or fissure once formed.
Credit: World Atlas
Picture Credit : Google
