Earth Surface Dynamics
Earth Surface Dynamics
ESurf
Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-193-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-193-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
Research article
 | 
03 Feb 2016
Research article |  | 03 Feb 2016

On a neck, on a spit: controls on the shape of free spits

A. D. Ashton, J. Nienhuis, and K. Ells

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Short summary
Depositional shoreline spits are found along many of the Earth's modern and paleo-shorelines. Here we use a numerical model of shoreline evolution to develop a comprehensive model of the controls on spit shape, demonstrating that spits are graded shapes that arise from feedbacks between the headland, neck, and hook through the migration of a "fulcrum point". Our results suggest that spit form is controlled not only by the directional wave climate but also by the rate of headland recession.
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