Level 66
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Landforms and Major Physical Regions

Islands, Coastlines, and Coastal Landforms

A survey of how islands form and coastlines evolve, from volcanic archipelagos and continental fragments to coral atolls and eroding, vanishing shorelines.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Continental and Oceanic Island Formation. Islands form either as fragments of continental crust or as new oceanic volcanic land masses.
  2. Volcanic Islands and Archipelagos. Hotspots, ridges, and subduction zones each build volcanic islands and long island chains.
  3. Coral Reefs and Atoll Formation. Darwin's subsidence theory explains how growing coral turns volcanic islands into atolls.
  4. Barrier Islands, Spits, and Coastal Deposition. Longshore drift deposits sand into barrier islands, spits, and tombolos along low coasts.
  5. Cliffs, Headlands, and Coastal Erosion. Wave erosion and differential rock resistance sculpt cliffs, headlands, arches, and stacks.
  6. Estuaries, Deltas, and Coastal Wetlands. Estuaries, deltas, and wetlands form where rivers meet the sea and sediment accumulates.
  7. Sea-Level Change and Vanishing Coastlines. Warming oceans and melting ice are raising sea level and submerging the world's lowest coasts.
  8. Island Nations and Geographic Isolation. Isolation shapes island species, cultures, and the shared vulnerabilities of small island states.

This module continues after "Deserts and Arid Landforms" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1Continental and Oceanic Island Formation
2Coral Reefs and Atoll Formation
3Cliffs, Headlands, and Coastal Erosion
4Estuaries, Deltas, and Coastal Wetlands
5Island Nations and Geographic Isolation

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Final test

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Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Darwin, C. (1842). The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs. London: Smith, Elder and Co.
  • MacArthur, R.H. and Wilson, E.O. (1967). The Theory of Island Biogeography. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • Bird, E.C.F. (2008). Coastal Geomorphology: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Nunn, P.D. (1994). Oceanic Islands. Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Mortimer, N., Campbell, H.J., Tulloch, A.J., et al. (2017). "Zealandia: Earth's Hidden Continent." GSA Today, 27(3), 27-35.
  • IPCC (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.