 In addition to their significance as indicators of
FIRST SLIDE ancient nearshore processes and conditions, ancient
MAINLAND BEACHES
 long, narrow accumulations of sand aligned parallel
to the shoreline and attached to land
 Bodies of beach sand are typically cut across here
and there by headlands and sea cliffs, estuaries, river
deltas, tidal inlets, bays, and lagoons.
SECOND SLIDE
BARRIER ISLAND BEACHES
 Similar to mainland beaches
 Barrier island beaches: an elongated body of sand, which
runs parallel to the mainland shore separated from land
by a shallow lagoon, estuary, or marsh and often dissected
by tidal channels or inlets
 FOURTH SLIDE
 Lagoon- is a shallow body of water separated from a
larger body of water, such as the ocean or a lake, by a
barrier, such as a sandbar, coral reef, or barrier island.
 Marsh- an area of land where water covers ground for
long periods of time and is characterized by the presence
of non-woody vegetation, such as grasses, reeds, and
sedges.
 Estuary- partially enclosed coastal body of water where
freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with seawater
 Tidal channel or inlets- narrow inlets or estuaries that
occur where tidal currents cut through barriers into inner
lagoons.
THIRD SLIDE
 Modern and Holocene beaches have perhaps been
studied more extensively than any other
depositional environment owing to their recreational
use; their accessibility; their economic potential as a
source of placer gold, platinum, and various minerals;
and their importance .as an erosion buffer between
the sea and the land.
beach and barrier-island sediments have
considerable economic importance as reservoirs for
petroleum and natural gas and as host rocks for
uranium.
 Although most beaches are composed of siliciclastic
sediments, some modem beaches on carbonate
shelves are made up predominantly of carbonate
grains consisting of skeletal fragments, ooids, pellets,
and other particles.

The Gravels of the Rio De La Plata: The Holocene Beaches of
Bella Vista, Uruguay
 The Holocene beaches of Bella Vista, Uruguay, refer to the
coastal area along the Rio de la Plata in the Bella Vista
region during the Holocene epoch, which is the current
geological epoch that began around 11,700 years ago and
continues to the present day.
 During the Holocene, sea levels rose significantly due to
the melting of glaciers from the last ice age. As a result,
the coastline of Bella Vista and other areas along the Rio
de la Plata underwent changes, leading to the formation
of beaches and other coastal features.
DEPOSITIONAL SETTING
 Coasts are classified on the basis of tidal range:
 Microtidal (0-2 m tidal range)
 Mesotidal (2-4 m tidal range)
 Macrotidal (> 4 m tidal range)

 Beach and barrier-island complexes are best
developed on wave-dominated coasts where tidal
range is small to moderate.
 Hayes (1975) has shown that barrier-island and
associated environments occur preferentially along
microtidal coasts, where they are well developed
and nearly continuous.
 They are less characteristic of mesotidal coasts and,
when present, are typically short or stunted, with
tidal Inlets common.
 Barriers are generally absent on macrotidal coasts;
the extreme tidal range causes wave energy to be
dispersed and dissipated over too great a width of
shore zone to effectively form barriers.
Wave-dominated coast- A wave-dominated coast is a type of
coast with an abundance of sediment, primarily sand but
including gravel and cobbles, and where contemporary
sediment supply is sufficient to maintain the beach and dune
system. Most authors consider long, smooth, barrier coasts
with few inlets and poorly developed ebb deltas as "wave-
dominated". These coasts are associated with high-energy
wave climates and are characterized by a wide surf zone, a low
gradient beach, and a well-developed berm. Along wave-
dominated coasts, the role of the waves and, thus, longshore
transport processes is the dominant factor controlling the
coastal morphology.
Low gradient beach- A low gradient beach is a type of beach
with a gentle slope, typically less than 5 degrees, and a wide
swash zone. The swash zone is the area of the beach that is
covered and uncovered by waves as they break.
High-energy wave climate- A high-energy wave climate is a type
of wave climate that is characterized by strong waves and high
wave power. The energy in ocean waves has been increasing as
a consequence of climate change, which is making waves
stronger.
high-energy wave climate barrier islands
Barrier islands form under high-energy wave climates. Beach
dunes and grasses on barrier islands absorb wave energy
before the wave hits the mainland, which generally means
smaller storm surge and less flooding on the coast. Barrier
islands can move, erode, and grow due to wind and waves
shifting according to weather patterns and local geographic
features. Barrier islands are critical to protecting coastal
communities and ecosystems from extreme weather. The
shoreface and back-barrier of a vulnerable barrier island can be
exposed to high-energy waves, especially when the lagoon
accommodates a large tidal prism. The barrier islands have
moved landward through time, allowing wave energy to erode
the older shore deposits that are now offshore. Field data of
water levels, waves, and currents were collected on a barrier
island in the Netherlands to investigate the hydrodynamics
during barrier island inundation.
MIXED WAVE-TIDE
Mixed energy coasts are a product of both wave and tidal
processes and neither process exerts an excessive influence on
the coastal morphology, although some mixed energy coasts
show tidal or wave dominance. Rarely in nature are processes
in equilibrium. These types of coasts typically contain short
stubby barrier islands, have numerous tidal inlets and passes,
and are separated from a mainland by extensive marshes and
an array of tidal creeks.
The combination of waves and tides on mixed wave-tide coasts
can lead to diverse coastal landforms. These may include sandy
beaches, barrier islands, spits, estuaries, tidal flats, and salt
marshes. The interaction between wave-driven processes and
tidal currents contributes to the formation and evolution of
these landforms.
These coasts are not in equilibrium, and the processes that
shape them are constantly changing
TIDE-DOMINATED
Coasts where waves are absent are the extreme previously
recognised as tide- dominated coasts.
Strong tidal currents that are oriented perpendicular to the
trend of the coastline and that act to redistribute sediment
along the vector of rising and falling tides are known as tide-
dominated coasts. Most frequently, areas with huge tidal
ranges and coastline morphology that enhances tidal flow by
compressing tidal currents into funnel-shaped embayments are
where the highest intensity tidal currents form. The ensuing
tidal currents rearrange sediment to form subaerial and
subaqueous tidal shoals and islands that are positioned
perpendicular to the tidal flow direction. Furthermore,
enormous tidal flats and marsh or mangrove systems develop
along the edges of the embayment in regions with very broad
tidal ranges, and they can take up a lot of space.
Waves are created when many winds and water influences
interact with each other.
Waves occur almost all the time due to the action of the wind
Tides are created by rising and falling sea levels through the
influence of gravity,
Tides only occur twice a day with a time gap of 12 hours and 35
minutes.
FIFTH SLIDE
Beach and barrier islands can occur in three types:
 a single beach attached to the mainland
 a broader beach-ridge system that constitutes:
 a strand plain, which consists of multiple parallel
beach ridges and parallel swales,
 a chenier plain, type of strand plain, which consists
of sandy ridges elongated along the coast and
separated by coastal mudflat deposits
 a barrier island separated wholly or partly from the
mainland by a lagoon or marsh
 Single beach- normal beach
 Beach-ridge system (strandplain)- is a succession of sub-
parallel ridges and swales, where swales can be seasonally
filled with water
 A barrier island separated wholly (completely) or partly
(barrier island is not completely disconnected from the
mainland, but rather has portions that are separated by a
lagoon or marsh system) from the mainland by a lagoon or
marsh
SIXTH SLIDE
BEACHES
MORPHOLOGY
 backshore- which extends landward from the beach
berm above high-tide level and commonly includes
back-beach dune deposits
 Berm- nearly horizontal shore parallel ridge formed
on the beach
 Back-beach dune- develop at the rear of the
backshore
 foreshore- which mainly encompasses the intertidal
(littoral) zone between low-tide and high-tide levels
 Intertidal zone- area within tidal range; variety of
habitats; tidal range- area above water level at low
tide and underwater at high tide
 Swash zone- land-ocean boundary at the landward
edge of the surf zone
 shoreface (nearshore)- which extends from about low-
tide level to the transition zone between beach and
shelf sediments, that is to fair-weather wave base at
a depth of about 10-15 m.
 Shoaling wave zone- the change in shape and
behavior as waves propagate into water decreasing
depth
 Surf zone - area or region of where incoming waves
break
 Breaker zone- waves approaching the coastline
commence breaking
 Figure 9.21 illustrates also the approximate
zones of shoaling and breaking waves and the
position of the surf zone and swash zone,
discussed in a succeeding section.
DEPOSITIONAL PROCESSES
 As mentioned, beaches are best developed on wave-
dominated coasts where tidal ranges are small.
 Beaches are constructed primarily by wave-related
processes, which include wave swash, storm waves,
and nearshore currents (longshore and rip currents).
Wind also plays a role in sediment transport on
beaches.
SEVENTH SLIDE
WAVE PROCESSES
As waves progress shoreward into the shallow
shoaling zone, forward velocity of the waves slows, wave
length decreases, and wave height increases.
 Creation of the breaker zone- waves eventually steepen to
the point where orbital velocity exceeds wave velocity and
the wave breaks
 Creation of the surf zone- breaking waves generate
turbulence that throws sediment into suspension and also
brings about a transformation of wave motion
 Swash zone- the surf zone gives way to the swash zone, in
which a rapid, very shallow swash flow moves up the
beach, carrying sediment in partial suspension, followed
almost immediately by a backwash flow down the beach
The backwash begins at very low velocity but
accelerates quickly. (If heavy minerals are present in the
suspended sediment, they settle rapidly to generate a thin
heavy-mineral lamina).
 Water beneath waves moving across deep water is
constrained to move in orbital (circular) paths
(discussed in Chapter 10). Interaction with the
bottom slows the water's orbital motion as deep-
water orbital waves reach shallow water where the
depth is roughly half the wave length. Eventually, at
the bottom, orbits develop a nearly horizontal to-
and-fro motion that can carry sediment back and
forth as they get increasingly elliptical. This back-
 and-forth motion is crucial for creating ripple
bedforms and for causing some net sediment
transport.
Transgression and regression are two important concepts
in geology that describe how the shoreline of a body of
water moves over time. Here are the differences
between transgression and regression:
Transgression:
- Transgression occurs when the shoreline moves
seaward.
- During a transgression, sea level rises relative to the
land and the shoreline moves toward higher ground,
resulting in flooding.
- Transgressions can be caused either by the land sinking
or the ocean basins filling with water (or decreasing in
capacity).
- During a transgression, deeper water sediments, such as
shale and limestone, are deposited over shallow water
sediments, such as sandstone and conglomerate.
- During a transgression, the composition of the
sediments becomes finer grained.
Regression:
- Regression occurs when the shoreline moves landward.
- During a regression, sea level falls relative to the land
and the shoreline moves toward lower ground, resulting
in exposure.
- Regressions happen when the water level in the ocean
basin goes beyond its capacity.
- During a regression, the opposite pattern is observed.
Shallow water sediments, such as sandstone and
conglomerate, are deposited over deeper water
sediments, such as shale and limestone.
- During a regression, the composition of the sediments
becomes coarser grained.
Transgression-regression events allow geologists to see
contemporary marine and terrestrial rocks due to
intertonguing of facies[1]. By looking for key features
such as changes in rock type and composition, geologists
can identify transgression and regression in sedimentary
outcrops[2]. This information can be used to understand
the history of the Earth's oceans and to predict where
future transgressions and regressions might occur[2].
Back-barrier sedimentation plays an important role in
maintaining barrier islands by providing a source of
sediment that can help to offset erosion and maintain the
island's size and shape[1][2][3]. Here are some key points
about the role of back-barrier sedimentation in
maintaining barrier islands:
- Barrier islands have several depositional environments
within them, including the back-barrier, which borders
the lagoon.
- The back-barrier can include vegetation growth,
washover fans, marshes, and tidal flats.
- Low lying tidal flats can grow vegetation that increases
sediment deposition.
- Sediment is transported from the beach to the dune
portion of the island by wind and typically push the dunes
landward.
- The back-barrier is mostly influenced by tides, which can
transport sediment into the lagoon and help to maintain
the island's size and shape.
- Backbarrier sedimentation can play an important role in
maintaining steady rates of island migration into the
future.
Barrier islands and their backbarrier saltmarshes have a
reciprocal relationship, where aeolian and storm
processes transport sediment from the barrier island to
the backbarrier saltmarshes, and the marshes, in turn,
trap sediment and help to build up the backbarrier[4].
Thickness maps of backbarrier sediments can help to
understand the dynamics of barrier islands and their
response to sea level rise[5]. The channel that connects
the backbarrier to the open ocean delivers sediment into
the backbarrier and helps to maintain the island's size
and shape[6].