Barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier Islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that are parallel to the mainland
coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen. Excepting the tidal inlets that separate the islands, a barrier chain may extend uninterrupted for over a hundred kilometers, the longest and widest being Padre Island.[1] The length and width of barriers and overall morphology of barrier coasts are related to parameters including tidal range, wave energy, sediment supply, sea-level trends and basement controls.[2]
Chains of barrier islands can be found along approximately thirteen percent of the world's coastlines,[3] some displaying different settings, suggesting that they can form and be maintained in a variety of environmental settings. Numerous theories have been given to explain their formations.