12.6 Shorelines Flashcards
Barrier island
A long, narrow island that runs parallel to a shoreline.
Baymouth bar
A spit or sand bar which extends all the way across the mouth of a bay.
Beach
A sedimentary deposit of sand or gravel along the shore of an ocean or lake.
Brackish
Water that is somewhat salty but not as salty as seawater.
Groin
A wall built perpendicular to a shoreline in order to trap sand along beaches.
Lagoon
A brackish lake formed behind a barrier island or a baymouth bar.
Longshore current
A wave-caused current that flows parallel to a shoreline.
Mangrove
A tidal flat forest with saltwater-tolerant trees.
Sea arch
A natural arch in rocks formed by wave erosion along a coastline.
Sea stack
An isolated pillar of rock just offshore produced by wave erosion.
Spit
A narrow bar of sand that extends out from the shore into the ocean or into a bay.
Tidal flat
A muddy or marshy area covered and uncovered by the rise and fall of the tide.
Wave-cut platform
A flat area cut by wave erosion just below sea level and extending out from the shoreline.
