Figure 10.20: Sand deposits in quiet areas along a shoreline to form a beach. ( 7 )causing the sand to curve around in the shape of a hook.
When the land that forms the shore is relatively flat and gently sloping, the shoreline may be
lined with long narrow islands calledbarrier islands(Figure10.21). Most barrier islands
are just a few kilometers wide and tens of kilometers long. Many famous beaches, like Miami
Beach, are barrier islands. In its natural state, a barrier island acts as the first line of defense
against storms like hurricanes.
Figure 10.21: These sand dunes are part of Padre Island off the coast of Texas, which is a
barrier island. ( 42 )
Instead of keeping barrier islands natural, these areas end up being some of the most built
up, urbanized areas of our coastlines. That means storms, like hurricanes, damage houses
and businesses rather than hitting soft, vegetated sandy areas. Some hurricanes have hit