B

Barrier (coast)— An elongated offshore ridge or mass, usually of sand, rising above the high-tide level, and generally extending parallel to and at some distance from the shore, and built up by the action of waves and currents. Examples include barrier beach and barrier island (bar).

Blockfall— A specific term used to describe failure of a portion of a vertical or near-vertical cliff.

Bluff-top grading— The artificial removal of the bluff-top layer which, in semiarid climates, is often more cemented by iron oxide than the underlying sediments.

Breakwater— A structure built in the sea, somewhat parallel to the shore, designed to stop ordinary waves from breaking on the enclosed area.