Synonyms
Ayr (Northern Europe); Tie bar
Definition
A tombolo is a sediment deposit at the coast formed by wave refraction and diffraction at the edges of an obstacle (natural or artificial) originally detached from the mainland.
Description
The formation of a tombolo is caused by the diffraction of the wave at the ends of an obstacle, creating a convergence of opposing flows of sediment transport. Depending on the input of sediments and sea-level trends, the accumulation of sediments (sands or gravels) leads to continuous progradation of the coastline towards the detached obstacle (usually an island). A smaller sediment protrusion can also be developed in the back side of the obstacle. The final phase of this process is the complete coalescence between these sediment features and the blockage of the water body located behind the obstacle, with the consequent formation of a connection between the obstacle and the mainland (i.e., the tombolo). Tombolos can be classified as simple, when...
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Johnson, D. W., and Reed, W. G., Jr., 1910. The form of Nantasket beach. Journal of Geology, 18, 162–189.
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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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de Mahiques, M.M. (2016). Tombolo. In: Kennish, M.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Estuaries. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_349
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_349
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Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8800-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8801-4
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