common coastal features

Area where the land meets the sea; its features vary depending on climate, wind, sea and the type of rocks of which it is composed.

natural arch

Arch hollowed out of a headland by the sea.

cave

Natural underground cavity that results from the slow dissolution and erosion of rock by water.

stack

Needle-shaped column resulting from the collapse of an arch.

sand island

Exposed summit of a sand deposit formed near or occasionally far from a shoreline.

rocky islet

Small island made of rock.

tombolo

Ridge of sand joining an island to the shoreline.

spit

Elongated ridge of sand or pebbles extending into the water.

skerry

Rock tip just above the surface of the water.

headland

Tapering strip of land jutting into the sea.

cliff

Steep rock face shaped by a sea.

dune

Accumulation of sand shaped by the wind.

river estuary

Mouth of a river that is influenced by the tides; it forms an indentation in the coastline that varies in width and depth.

lagoon

Shallow expanse of seawater separated from the sea by a ridge of sand or a barrier island.

beach

Accumulation of sand or pebbles along a coast.