2.1C Rocky coasts and coastal plains

• Coastal plains (Sandy and estuarine coasts):

  • landscapes are relatively flat, low relief areas adjacent to the sea. 
  • They often contain freshwater wetlands and marshes due to the poor drainage of the flat landscape. 
  • Their littoral zone is composed of sand dunes, beaches, mud flats and salt marshes. 
• Rocky coasts (high and low relief) result from resistant geology (to the erosive forces of sea, rain and wind), often in a high-energy environment
• Coastal plain formation = usually form by coastal accretion, where continuous net deposition causes the coastline to extend seawards and sea level change.