Coasts Shore

Classifying Coasts Primary Coast Secondary Coast

Primary Coast Land Erosion Coasts –Fjords Coasts Built by Land Processes –Deltas River dominated Tide dominated Wave dominated –Drumlins and Moraines Volcanic Coasts Coasts Shaped by Earth Movements

Secondary Coasts Dissolution High Energy Coasts Low Energy Coasts

Features of Secondary Coasts Sea Cliffs Sea Caves Wave Cut Platform

Shore straightening Accumulation of beaches –Long-shore Drift –Long-shore current

Beach Composition and Slope of Beaches –Swash –backwash Beach Shape –Berm –Berm crest –Backshore –Foreshore –Beach scrap –Longshore trough –Longshore bars

Minor Beach Features Rip Currents Coastal cells

Large Scale Features of Secondary Coasts Sand Spits Bay mouth Bar Barrier Islands Lagoon Sea islands Tombolo

Coasts Formed By Biological Activity Coral Reefs –Fringing Reefs –Barrier Reefs –Atolls

Mangroves Coasts Estuaries

Classification Of Estuaries Drowned river mouths Fjords Bar-Built Tectonic

Characteristics of Estuaries Salt wedge estuaries Well-mixed estuaries Partially mixed estuaries Fjords estuaries Reverse estuaries

The Value of Estuaries Lagoons and wetlands Wetland Slough Salt marsh swamp

Characteristics of US Coasts The Pacific Coast The Atlantic Coast The Gulf Coast

Human Interference in Coastal Processes Breakwater Groins Sea wall Importing sand