Definition
Carbonate beaches have a significant proportion of the sediment fabric of biogenic origin and carbonate in composition.
Introduction
Carbonate beaches have a significant proportion of the sediment fabric of biogenic origin and carbonate in composition. Carbonate beaches are therefore wave deposited accumulations of sediment (sand to boulder in size) deposited on shores where a nearshore supply of biogenic debris is available. The carbonate detritus can originate in a range of environments and from a number of sources including coral and algal reef debris; mixed skeletal material including broken shells, foraminifera, bryozoa, gastropods, and ostracods; some terrestrial animals; and ooids.
In the tropics, they are associated with three separate environments. They are most commonly found adjacent to/or nearby coralline-algae reefs. They also occur in lee of tropical intertidal sand and mud flats where shells are winnowed to form shelly beach ridges-cheniers; and they may occur...
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Short, A.D. (2018). Carbonate Beaches. In: Finkl, C., Makowski, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science . Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48657-4_60-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48657-4_60-2
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