The diagrams delineate the sequential stages of how sedimentary rock is naturally formed in coastal environments through geological transformations.
Looking at the chart from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that the entire configuration comprises a succession of four core phases, undergoing a multi-stage process which is linear in nature. The operational mechanism is set in motion by atmospheric weathering and rainwater freezing on the mountainside, and culminates in the structural solidification of layered rock platforms visible at the coastline.
The process is initiated with the preliminary stage where heavy rainfall infiltrates the fissures and cracks of the mountains. Having undergone freezing temperatures, this trapped water expands, thereby inducing a physical transformation that causes the unstable rock structures to fracture into boulders. These dislodged stone fragments then fall and are mechanically crushed into smaller particles as they roll down the slopes. At this exact juncture, the remnants are swept into the river channel, which harnesses mechanical energy to transport the debris downstream toward the sea. During this journey, ongoing erosion continuously breaks the fragments down into fine sand grains and small pebbles.
Progressing to the subsequent phase, these small fragments reach the lowest water level, where they are systematically channeled into the sea and settle evenly on the sea bed. Over time, successive levels of deposited materials accumulate, a phase where the matrix of pebbles and grains is subjected to extreme pressure from the overlying water mass. Once submerged, the compaction process runs parallel to a chemical reaction, during which water and water-borne chemicals intersperse with the sand grains, effectively cementing them together. The process reaches its denouement when these layers undergo complete solidification, forming stratified sandstone or mudstone cliffs that eventually stand as a permanent part of the coastline.