Tessellated pavement

[1][2] The second type of tessellated pavement consists of a bedrock surface that exhibits joints that form polygons that are typically regular in size, spacing, and junctions.

They consist of polygonal cracking, often associated with individual 'plates' that tend to be concave upward, that characterizes the formation of mudcracks in fine-grained sediments.

[7][8] The final type of tessellated pavement consists of relatively flat, sandstone surfaces that typically exhibit a complex pattern of five- or six-sided polygons.

This part of the pavement dries out more at low tide than the portion abutting the seashore, allowing salt crystals to develop further; the surface of the "pans" therefore erodes more quickly than the joints, resulting in increasing concavity.

[2] The loaf formations occur on the parts of the pavement closer to the seashore, which are immersed in water for longer periods of time.

Water, carrying abrasive sand, is typically channelled through the joints, causing them to erode faster than the rest of the pavement, leaving loaf-like structures protruding.