Page 2 - Walk

ALONG THE

COASTLINE

A coastline or a seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean, or a
line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. A
precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the
Coastline paradox.

The term coastal zone is a region where interaction of the sea and land
processes occurs. Both the terms coast and coastal are often used to describe a
geographic location or region; for example, New Zealand's West Coast, or the
East and West Coasts of the United States. Edinburgh for example is a city on
the coast of Scotland.

A pelagic coast refers to a coast which fronts the open ocean, as opposed to a
more sheltered coast in a gulf or bay. A shore, on the other hand, can refer to
parts of the land which adjoin any large body of water, including oceans (sea
shore) and lakes (lake shore). Similarly, the somewhat related term "[Stream
bed/bank]" refers to the land alongside or sloping down to a river (riverbank) or
to a body of water smaller than a lake. "Bank" is also used
in some parts of the world to refer to an artificial ridge of
earth intended to retain the water of a river or pond; in
other places this may be called a levee.

While many scientific experts might agree on a common
definition of the term "coast", the delineation of the
extents of a coast differ according to jurisdiction, with
many scientific and government authorities in various
countries differing for economic and social policy reasons.
According to the UN atlas, 44% of people live within 150
kilometres (93 miles) of the sea.

Tides often determine the range over which sediment is
deposited or eroded. Areas with high tidal ranges allow
waves to reach farther up the shore, and areas with lower
tidal ranges produce deprossosition at a smaller elevation
interval. The tidal range is influenced by the size and shape
of the coastline. Tides do not typically cause erosion by
themselves; however, tidal bores can erode as the waves
surge up river estuaries from the ocean.

Waves erode coastline as they break on shore releasing
their energy; the larger the wave the more energy it
releases and the more sediment it moves. Coastlines with
longer shores have more room for the waves to disperse.