Journal of Coastal Zone Management

Coastal Bar/ Coastal Spit

A spit is an extended stretch of beach material that projects out to sea and is joined to the mainland at one end. Spits are formed where the prevailing wind blows at an angle to the coastline, resulting in longshore drift. An example of a spit is Spurn Head, found along the Holderness coast in Humberside. In addition to beaches, a range of unique depositional landforms exist, including the bar, spit, tombolo and cuspate foreland. The formation of these landforms additionally depends upon the process of longshore drift. This occurs when waves approach a coast-line at an angle, due to the dominant wind.