Coastal landforms: sand spits, lagoons, bay, tombolo, salt marsh, dunes and natural arches. Flashcards
What are some examples of coastal landforms?
Coastal landforms: sand spits, lagoons, bay, tombolo, salt marsh, dunes and natural arches.
What is a sand spit?
a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores.
How was the sand spit formed?
The prevailing wind pushes constructive waves up the beach at an angle as the swash. The waves then travel at a ninety degree angle back down the beach due to gravity as the backwash.
What is a lagoon?
Lagoons are transitional zones between land and sea
How was the lagoon formed?
Lagoons are created as a shallow basin near the shore gradually erodes, and the ocean seeps in between the sandbars or barrier islands
What is a bay?
an area of the sea or ocean that is partly enclosed by land.
How was the bay formed?
bays are formed through the process of coastal erosion caused by the action of waves on the coastline
What is a tombolo?
a line of sand that connects an island to the main land or to another island
How was the tombolo formed?
A tombolo is formed when a spit connects the mainland coast to an island.
What is a salt marsh?
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.
How was the salt marsh formed?
A salt marsh is formed when mud and silt are deposited along a sheltered part of the coastline.
What is a dune?
A mound of sand formed by the wind
How was the dune formed?
When wind deposits sand on top of each other until a small mound starts to form.
What is a natural arch?
A natural arch is a landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath
How was the natural arch formed?
waters erode into arches due to water soaking into the joints and pore spaces of the sandstone. The water slowly weakens that sandstone that begins to fall off the rock.
