Deposition by the sea

Waves transport sand and shingle to the land by the swash and backwash Deposition takes place when the power of the waves is lessened Features of deposition include Beach Sand Dunes Sand Spit Tombolo Lagoon

Features of deposition include

What is the difference?

Beach A beach consists of sand and shingle formed by the swash and backwash finer material is found at the lower part of the beach while the coarser material is deposited at the upper beach

In stormy weather the swash is strong enough to hurl large stones and rocks up past the normal high tide mark where they remain to form a Storm beach Sandy beaches can be seen at Curracloe in Co. Wexford Storm beaches can be seen at Garretstown Co. Cork

Sand Dunes Sand dunes are mounds of sand at the back of a beach A sand dune is formed by the wind The fine sand is carried inland and as the wind drops it deposits the sand to form a sand dune The sand can be anchored by planting Marram Grass ( salt resistant plant that has deep roots to bind the sand particles)

Sand spit A ridge of sand or shingle that is connected to the land at one end and extends into a bay or estuary It is formed when large amounts of material are moved along the coast by longshore drift As it loses energy it deposits material on the sea bed The deposits build up to rise above the level of the water

Tombolo A ridge of sand or shingle that joins an island to the mainland Formed when a sand spit extends outwards from the mainland to link with the island ( by longshore drift) Example Howth Co. Dublin

Lagoon A lagoon is a body of water that is cut off from the sea by a bank of sand Usually formed when a sand spit grows in length to meet the other side of a bay Over time the lagoon begins to silt up if it is fed silt from inflowing rivers Example Lough Gill Co. Kerry