A Beach by Any Other Name

“A Beach By Any Other Name”

1.       Physical and geological characteristics used to classify Earth’s dynamic coastlines are bays, capes, coves, gulfs, headlands, and peninsulas.  Also, different types of sands such as silt, cobbles, and gravel are used to identify coastlines.

2.       A. Shepard Coastal Classifications

a.       Acadia National Park, Maine – Primary, land erosion, fjord

b.      Cape Cod, Massachusetts – Primary, glacial erosion

c.       Chesapeake Bay, Virginia – Primary, drowned river valley

d.      Atlantic City, New Jersey – primary, drowned river valley

e.      Mississippi Delta, Mississippi – Primary, partially drowned delta

f.        Kilauea Coast, Hawaii – primary, volcanic eruption

g.       San Francisco Bay, California – primary, flooded river

h.      North Carolina’s Outer Banks – secondary, barrier islands

i.        Indian River Lagoon, Florida- secondary, marine deposition

j.        Puget Sound, Washington- primary, fjord

k.       South Florida/Florida Keys- secondary, coral reefs

l.        Strait of Juan Defuca, Washington- primary, glacial erosian

m.    Cape Canaveral, Florida- secondary, barrier islands

n.      Aleutian Islands, Alaska- primary, volcanic

o.      Florida Gulf Coast- secondary, wave erosion fault line

p.      Texas Gulf Coast – Secondary, irregular through wave erosion

q.      Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – Primary, land erosion, dune coasts

r.        Prince William Sound, Alaska – Primary, lava flow coast