Coastal Features

Coastal Features

Bays

• A body of water partially enclosed by land, with a wider opening to the sea
• Can be formed by tectonic activity, erosion, or deposition
• Examples: Bay of Fundy, Bay of Bengal

Capes

• A pointed piece of land that extends out into the sea
• Formed by the erosive action of waves and currents
• Examples: Cape of Good Hope, Cape Cod

Cliffs

• Steep rock faces formed by erosion or tectonic activity
• Can be found along coastlines, often with a vertical or near-vertical face
• Examples: White Cliffs of Dover, Cliffs of Moher

Deltas

• Landforms created by the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river
• Characterized by a network of distributaries and wetlands
• Examples: Nile Delta, Mississippi Delta

Estuaries

• A partially enclosed coastal body of water, where freshwater and saltwater mix
• Formed by the flooding of a river valley by the sea
• Examples: Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay

Headlands

• A point of land that extends out into the sea, often with steep cliffs
• Formed by the erosive action of waves and currents
• Examples: Headland of Étretat, Headland of Dover

Islands

• Landmasses surrounded by water, often formed by volcanic activity or tectonic uplift
• Can be found in oceans, seas, or lakes
• Examples: Hawaii, Great Britain

Peninsulas

• A piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides
• Formed by tectonic activity, erosion, or deposition
• Examples: Florida Peninsula, Baja Peninsula

Straits

• Narrow channels of water that connect two larger bodies of water
• Formed by tectonic activity, erosion, or deposition
• Examples: Strait of Gibraltar, Bosphorus Strait