The diagrams describe how a headland is eroded through four main stages.
Overall, the process is completely natural, beginning with the erosion of rock in weak areas and ending with the formation of a new stump.
The first stage takes place in weak areas where rock is eroded due to the action of the sea, creating a crevice. After that, this crevice widens gradually and becomes a cave, which then turns into an arch. One famous example of this phenomenon is Durdle Door arch in Dorset, England.
The process continues when waves beat against the roof of the arch constantly, making it finally collapses. The separated part of the headland after being split is called a stack. Subsequently, since being continuously eroded by water, this stack gets increasingly smaller and ends up by becoming a stump. Meanwhile, the headland retreats more deeply with every passing day because this process repeats endlessly.
