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After reading this article you will learn about the classification of coastlines and shorelines.
Near the sea, the margin of the land is represented by coastline and the margin of the sea is represented by shoreline.
According to the nature of formation and special characteristics, coastlines may be of following types:
The dalmatian coastline is characterised by parallel inlets and long narrow hilly islands situated at some distance in the sea and parallel to the coastline. This type of coastline is seen in Yugoslavia and in Bombay region.
Haff coastline is the low and regular coastline found in Eastern Germany. It is formed of soft sediments and the sandy strips run parallel to the coast.
Fiord coastline is the result of drowned glaciated valleys. The inlets have steep parallel walls and U-shaped valleys. This type of coastline is found in Norway, Scotland, Labrador and Newfoundland.
Ria coastline is the result of drowned river valleys. Unlike fiords, the sides of the in-lets ire gently sloping and their valleys are V-shaped. Ria coastline is found in Ireland, Spain and England.
Like coastlines, shorelines are also divided into four types.
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They are:
Shoreline of emergence:
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Shoreline of emergence is formed by the rising of the continental above the sea water. Such a shoreline is conspicuously straight with no irregularities. The shoreline of the Atlantic coast of North America is of this type. Kerala coast is also another example.
Shoreline of submergence:
Shoreline of submergence is generally curved and comes into existence by the sinking of land area. Such shorelines are extremely irregular. The submerged valleys take the form of bays and gulfs and the exposed portion becomes island. The southern portion of Chile, Labrador, Norway and British Columbia are typical examples.
Neutral shorelines:
Neutral shorelines are those which come into existence neither due to emergence or submergence. These are formed by the building of the land into the sea.
Compound shorelines:
Compound shorelines are those which are formed by the combination of the above processes. Such composite features are found in North Carolina, West Sussex and West Coast of India.
In this way sea-waves bring many changes over the surface of the earth.