The dramatic moment when 1,000 tonnes of ancient rock fell from a 150ft sandstone cliff on the Jurassic Coast was caught on video.
The images show a large section of the cliff suddenly collapsing in two phases on West Bay in Dorset.
The rockfall occurs seconds after a “small cloud of dust” emerges from the center of the sandstone cliff as it is about to collapse.
Moments later, a 150-foot (45 m) high pile falls away and lands on the beach. The fall immediately weakens the adjacent rock support, which then goes in the same direction.
Footage captures the moment a large rock suddenly fell at West Bay in Dorset, Bournemouth
As the debris falls, a large cloud of dust immediately begins to cover the area of the beach and the surrounding waves on the shore.
When the dust settles, a significant pile of debris will be trapped on the Jurassic Coast.
Fortunately the beach was empty that day due to the cold and overcast conditions – had this happened on a sunnier day, people could have been seriously injured or killed in an accident.
Video was captured on Jan. 18 at 10:53 a.m. by the Environmental Protection Agency’s fixed camera at the West Bay Pier.
As the debris falls, a large cloud of dust begins to cover part of the beach
The rockfall comes seconds after a “small cloud of dust” emerges from the center of the sandstone cliff as it is about to collapse
A spokesperson for Dorset Council’s Jurassic Coast team described the disturbing sequence of events: “You can see how these cliffs work.
“They fall vertically, they just collapse from the sheer weight, which is probably caused by the groundwater and the cliff weakening from below.
“But it is not over, because the supporting leg next to it has been weakened by the fall and it continues. Wow, that’s huge.
“As the dust clears, the sun comes out and illuminates the large pile of debris that remains.
“I think we should all be very thankful that no one was there when it happened.”
A spokesman for Dorset Council’s Jurassic Coast team said: “They’re falling vertically, they’re just collapsing from sheer weight, probably caused by groundwater and the weakening of the cliff below.”
When the dust settles, a huge pile of trash and debris accumulates on the beach
Witness Chris Emmerson described the sound of the falling rock as “a rumble of thunder.”
Mr Emmerson, 39, of Crewkerne, said: “It was pretty amazing. We were standing on the cobblestone wall and heard a rumble like thunder in the distance. I turned and saw the first of two cliffs and a huge cloud of dust saw.
“When I took out my phone to take pictures, the second fall happened in the same place.
“It was like an old chimney falling.”
New warning signs have been posted and the coastal path is temporarily closed while city engineers investigate the site.
Witness Chris Emmerson described the sound of the rockfall as “a rumble of thunder”.
Located in the heart of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, West Bay is a tourist attraction thanks to its stunning scenery
West Bay, at the heart of Britain’s Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the setting for ITV crime drama Broadchuch and is a tourist attraction.
The landslide is the latest in a series of rockfalls that have occurred on this crumbling stretch of 180-million-year-old cliffs in recent years.
In 2012, 22-year-old tourist Charlotte Blackman was crushed by a massive landslide as she continued beneath the cliffs along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Burton Bradstock.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
