Arch
A natural rock formation where an opening is created through a headland by wave erosion, often forming after a cave is eroded completely through
Backwash
The water that flows back down the beach toward the sea after the wave breaks
Barrier beach
A bar that connects two headlands with a lagoon forming behind
Beach
A depositional landform made of sand and pebbles, formed by constructive waves
Cave
A hollow feature at the base of a cliff formed when waves erode alongside lines of weakness
Drift-aligned beach
A beach where sediment is moves along the shore by LSD
Hooked spit
A curved end of a spit, formed by a change in prevailing wind direction
Lagoon
A shallow body of water separated from the sea by a bar or barrier beach, salt water lake
Pioneer plant species
The first plants to colonise bare sand dunes, helping stabilise the dune and beginning plant succession. For example, marram grass
Plant succession
The gradual development of vegetation communities over time in dunes or marshes
Raised beach
A former beach now above sea level, left stranded by isostatic uplift
Salt march
A coastal wetland formed behind spits and barrier beaches where sediment builds up in sheltered water, colonised by salt-tolerant plants
Sand dune
A hill or ridge of sane formed by wind action, stabilised by vegetation overtime
Spit
A narrow deposit of sand or shingle projecting our of the sea, formed by LSD where the coastline changes direction
Stack
A tall column of rock isolated from the coast formed when an arch collapses
Stump
The eroded remains of a stack visible at low tide
Swash-aligned beach
A beach formed where waves break parallel to the shoreline with minimal lateral sediment movement
Tombolo
A ridge of sand or shingle joining an island to the mainland formed by LSD and deposition
Wave cut notch
An indentation at the base of a cliff caused by wave erosion
Accretion
The gradual build up of sediment, often creating new land in a sediment cell
Dalmatian coast
A submergent landform where valleys running parallel to the coast are flooded, leaving ridges as offshore islands
Emergent coastline
A coastal area that has risen relative to sea level, exposing landforms such as raised beaches and fossil cliffs
Eustatic change
A global sea level change due to variation in the amount of water in the oceans, often caused by melting or formation of ice and thermal expansion
Fjord
A deep, glacially-carved valley now flooded by rising sea levels, usually deeper inland and U-shaped profile
