A Beach by its Name

Primary and Secondary coasts are very different by there natural formation. A primary coast is formed by the erosion of land. Primary coasts are generally young and are shaped by terrestrial processes, including erosion, river/stream deposition, glaciers, volcanism, and tectonic movements. Secondary coasts are shaped mainly by marine erosion or deposition due to wave action, sediment transport by currents, or building activities of certain organisms and generally these coasts are older. Secondary coasts are formed by large waves, more exposed to tropical storms, shore straightening occurs most rapidly here. Estuaries are classified into five different groups based upon there circulation and salinity. The five major groups known as,salt wedge, fjord,slightly stratified, vertically mixed, and fresh water.Bar-built estuaries are formed when sandbars build up along the coastline. The first stage in the formation of a tectonic estuary is when the rapid movement of the Earth’s crust causes a large piece of land to sink, or subside, producing a depression or basin.While strongly affected by tides and tidal cycles, many estuaries are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by reefs, barrier islands, or fingers of land, mud, or sand that surround them.The shallow, nutrient-rich waters of estuaries and associated wetlands create a highly productive environment for plants and animals. In fact, estuarine environments are among the most productive on earth. The high concentration of nutrients and shallow depth support phytoplankton, seagrasses, macroalgae, emergent grasses and, in tropical environments, mangroves.The economy of many coastal areas relies on the natural beauty and bounty of estuaries. When those natural resources are imperiled, so are the livelihoods of the many people who live and work along the coast. As our population grows, the demands imposed on our natural resources increase and protecting these resources for all their natural, economic, and aesthetic values becomes even more important. Dunes are natural barriers to the destructive forces of wind and waves, sand dunes are our first line of defense against coastal storms and beach erosion. They absorb the impact of storm surge and high waves, preventing or delaying flooding of inland areas and damage to inland structures. They are also sand storage areas that supply sand to eroded beaches during storms and buffer windblown sand and salt spray.