Spits + Bars

• How a spit can eventually become a bar:

  • Longshore drift transports sediment from one side of a bay to another
  • When the coastline changes direction, longshore drift continues to transport this material along the beach
  • If this spit continues to project, it can rejoin a coastline
  • This dams part of the sea called a lagoon which will become unfilled
• A spit is a long narrow strip of land which is formed due to ​deposition​. ​Longshore drift occurs along the coast line but as the waves ​lose energy​ (normally due to going into a sheltered area such as behind a headland) they deposit their sediment. Over time this creates a ​spit​. Periodically, the ​prevailing wind​ will change direction causing a ​hook​ to appear