Which coastal setting is primarily built up by sediment deposition, creating broad beaches and lagoons?

Which coastal setting is primarily built up by sediment deposition, creating broad beaches and lagoons?

• A. Estuary
• B. Depositional Coast
• C. Fjord
• D. Fringing Reef

Answer: (B)

Sediment supply with relatively gentle or moderate wave energy builds up material along the shore, so sand is deposited rather than eroded. This leads to broad sandy beaches and sheltered lagoons behind barrier formations or spits, as sediment accumulates and creates quiet water bodies. The other settings are shaped by different processes: estuaries are river-mouth tidal systems with mixed salinity and channels; fjords are deep glacially carved inlets with steep sides; fringing reefs are biological reef structures along the coast, not primarily formed by sediment deposition to create beaches and lagoons.

Sediment supply with relatively gentle or moderate wave energy builds up material along the shore, so sand is deposited rather than eroded. This leads to broad sandy beaches and sheltered lagoons behind barrier formations or spits, as sediment accumulates and creates quiet water bodies. The other settings are shaped by different processes: estuaries are river-mouth tidal systems with mixed salinity and channels; fjords are deep glacially carved inlets with steep sides; fringing reefs are biological reef structures along the coast, not primarily formed by sediment deposition to create beaches and lagoons.