COASTAL LANDFORMS

any of the relief features present along any coast, the result of a combination of processes, sediments, and the geology of the coast itself. The coastal environment of the world is made up of a wide variety of landforms manifested in a spectrum of sizes and shapes ranging from gently sloping beaches to high cliffs, yet coastal landforms are best considered in two broad categories: erosional and depositional. In fact, the overall nature of any coast may be described in terms of one or the other of these categories. It should be noted, however, that each of the two major landform types may occur on any given reach of coast. Additional reading An introduction to coastal geomorphology is provided by Eric C.F. Bird, Coasts (1984). Other useful texts include Francis P. Shepard and Harold R. Wanless, Our Changing Coastlines (1971); Paul D. Komar, Beach Processes and Sedimentation (1976); J.L. Davies, Geographical Variation in Coastal Development, 2nd ed. (1980); and Richard A. Davis, Jr., Coastal Sedimentary Environments, 2nd rev. and expanded ed. (1985). Eric C.F. Bird and Maurice L. Schwartz (eds.), The World's Coastline (1985), is a comprehensive round-the-world treatment of coastal features. Richard A Davis, Jr.