Sand Spit Landscape

A sand spit landscape consists of narrow sandy embankment-like landforms, the base of which are linked to the coast. The ends project into the ocean or lake through marine deposition. These features commonly form in bays, straits, estuaries and protruded coasts through the lateral transportation of sand and mud. The front bends slightly inland, and the seaward slope is steeper than the landward slope. During its formation, if the direction of the waves or the longshore drift changes, a sand spit often forms on the inner side. Sand spits in river estuaries tend to move constantly due to the occurrence of dry and flood periods. Sand spits have various forms due to the effects of different sources of materials, different wave dimensions and changes in wave directions. Common sand spit forms include arrowhead spits, wing-like spits and sickle-shaped spits (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8

Sand spit landscape