Spits

Question 1

What is a spit?

Answer 1

A spit is an accumulation of sand and shingle, one end attached to the mainland and the other end stretching out across and estuary or into the sea.

Question 2

They are formed when?

Answer 2

Spits are formed when the prevailing wind blows at an Acute angle to the coastline causing the process of long shore drift.

Question 3

What does longshore drift do?

Answer 3

longshore drift transports sediment along the coastline.

Question 4

What happens where the coastline changes direction?

Answer 4

When the coastline suddenly changes direction the sediment is deposited where the water is sheltered and shallow.

Question 5

What happens to the sediment?

Answer 5

The sediment slowly builds up to sea level and extends in length.

Question 6

What happens when the wind changes direction?

Answer 6

When the wind changes direction it causes the waves to alter their direction and this results in a spit.

Question 7

Why can’t spits grow across an estuary?

Answer 7

Spits can’t grow across and estuary because the river current would transport the sediment out to be sea.

Question 8

Order of the process of a spit:

Answer 8

• Prevailing wind at acute angle causes longshore drift.
• sediment transport across coastline
• coastline changes direction and sediment is deposited
• sediment builds up to sea level and extends
• wind changes direction causing waves to