Coast

A coastal image featured on a United States postal stamp.

A coast is that part of an island or continent that borders an ocean, gulf, sea, or large lake. In geology and physical geography, the coast extends inland from the shoreline. The terms coast and coastal refer to the condition of being located on or near a coast. For example, Los Angeles is a coastal city; California, Oregon, and Washington are on the West Coast.

Coastal topics

Coastal topics provides links to Wikipedia articles on coastal features as well as features and subjects that influence the coast (for example waves, coral reefs) that technically are part of the adjacent marine or lacustrine environment.

• Coastal defenses
• Coastal management

Types of coast

• emergent coastline - coast has risen or sea level has fallen from previous level.
• submergent coastline - coast has fallen or sea level has risen from previous level.
• concordant coastline - rock bands run parallel to shore.
• discordant coastline - rock bands run perpendicular to shore.

Coastal landforms & features

• arch -- archipelago
• bar -- barrier island -- bay -- beach -- boondock
• cape -- cave -- cliff -- cove
• delta -- dune system
• estuary
• fjord
• gulf
• headland
• island -- island arc
• lagoon
• mud flat
• peninsula
• raised beach -- ria
• salt marsh -- sea -- spit -- stack -- stump
• tombolo
• wave cut cliff -- wave cut notch -- wave cut platform

Processes

• attrition
• currents
• denudation -- deposition
• erosion
• flooding
• saltation -- sea level change (eustatic -- isostatic) -- sedimentation -- sediment transportation -- solution -- sub-aerial processes -- suspention
• tides
• waves -- weathering

Related topics & articles

• Boat
• Coral reefs
• Earth science
• Geography -- Geology -- Geomorphology
• Marine biology
• Ocean
• Physical geography
• Salt
• Tourism
• Water

Referenced By