The geomorphology of the cliffs on either side of West Bay shows great contrast, largely due to their differing geology and the presence of fault lines. Looking at the geological section makes this clear. See figure 3. 

The two cliffs East and West, present different management challenges in terms of defending property from flooding and issues for tourists such as footpath diversion and the danger of rock falls onto the beach.

East Cliff - the high near-vertical sandstone cliffs are of a lower Jurassic sedimentary rock called Bridport Sands, with resistant calcite-cemented bands giving the cliff its characteristic layered profile in the orangey sandstone. See figure 4.

There is a thin capping of fossil-bearing Inferior Oolite containing ammonites, belemnites, shells and brachiopods. These cliffs are receding, with frequent rock falls, and the cliff-top footpath having to be diverted inland from time to time.

East Beach - the beach is regarded as the western end (or the start!) of the Chesil Bank or Beach and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It consists of orangey shingle with some underlying sand and pebbles.

West Cliff - almost entirely composed of soft middle Jurassic rocks; Frome Clay (Fuller's Earth) with a capping of Forest Marble. Within the Frome Clay there are two important faults - the West Cliff Fault, and the West Bay Fault. There has been a record of intermittent slipping, probably due to the flow of ground water within the fault zone in the Frome clay. This has lead to a series of attempts to stabilise the cliff over the years.