Shoreline Features
Ch. 16.3
Shoreline Features
waves shape shorelines with erosion &
deposition
 Erosion is the carrying of sediment
 Deposition is the dropping or depositing
of sediment in a new place (after erosion)

Wave Refraction
Wave bending
 Explains why an uneven shoreline with
shallow water is worn away to a more
even shoreline
 Incoming waves reach cliffs first and bend
around it

Rocky Beach Features
• Headlands- cliffs jutting out because of erosion
• Seastacks
• Sea Arches/Natural bridges
• Sea Caves
• Beaches- where eroded materials are dropped or
deposited
Sandy Beach Features

Beach – area of shore between the high-tide
level and the low-tide level
◦ Formed from deposition
◦ Other features:
1. Spit- when sand is deposited attached to a headland
2. Baymouth Bar- when the spit is extended and blocks
some water creating a bay
3. Barrier Islands/Sand Bars- block the waves from the
shore and water behind it
4. Lagoons- smaller, more shallow waters behind islands
and sand bars
5. Salt Marshes- when lagoons dry up and fill with sand
Sandy Beach Creation