CORE UNIT: PATTERNS AND PROCESSES IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Fig. 30 Cross section of a typical sand spit. Note the sand dunes marked on the spit. These formed as the wind blew across the wide sandy beach. When the tide is out the bay behind the spit is uncovered as mudflats. Not all spits have lagoons and marshes.
Fig. 29 Exam Diagram: Formation of a sand spit
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Fig. 31 Important Information: Map to show sand spits at Dooey, County Donegal. Note where the spit is connected to the land. This is where the coast changes direction and turns into Ballyness Bay.
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Tombolo
Main Processes: longshore drift, wave refraction, deposition. Example: Sutton, County Dublin and Castlegregory, County Kerry. A tombolo is a sandbar or sandspit that connects an island to the mainland. A tombolo is a landform of marine deposition. Tombolos are common around the west coast of Ireland and are made of shingle, sand and stone.