Landforms of the Coast

What is a concordant coastline?

a coastline where rock types run parallel to the shore, so erosion varies less along the coast

What is a discordant coastline?

a coastline where rock types alternate perpendicular to the shore, causing differential erosion and the formation of headlands and bays

What is a Dalmatian coastline?

a type of concordant coastline where submerged valleys run parallel to the coast, forming long, narrow islands offshore

What are rias?

drowned river valleys, formed by rising sea levels flooding river valleys

What are fjords?

drowned glacial valleys, formed by sea level rise flooding U-shaped valleys

What is a cuspate foreland?

a triangular shaped headland, formed by longshore drift converging from opposite directions

What is a blowhole?

a vertical shaft in rock connected to a cave, through which water and air are forced upwards during high energy wave events

What is a stack collapse?

the process whereby an arch loses structural support and falls, forming a separate column of rock

What are geo features?

narrow, steep-sided inlets formed when waves exploit weaknesses in a cliff

What is an offshore bar?

a ridge of sand or shingle deposited offshore by wave action, often forming at the low tide mark

What is the tombolo formation process?

the deposition of sediment in the wave shadow of an island, linking it to the mainland