spits Flashcards
Spits are created due to
longshore drift
A spit is an
extended stretch of sand or shingle that extends out to sea from the shore
Sediment is transported by waves along a coastline
When the coastline changes direction the waves no longer have
the energy to carry the sediment and it is deposited
The build-up of deposited sediment out to sea, often into an estuary, is called a
spit
The spit often has a curved end or hooks due to a secondary prevailing wind
As spits form across an estuary or around a headland there can also be the formation of tombolos and bars where the sediment meets either an island or the opposite side of a headland respectively
These are formed in the same way, through longshore drift and deposition
Bars can also form offshore
These are raised ridges of sediment away from the shore
They form where sediment level is high, and the sea is shallow
Bars that form as spits extend to
join two headlands are also known as barrier beaches
Water trapped behind the barrier beach is called a lagoon
Sandbars can also form offshore due to the action of
breaking waves