Raised beach

A raised beach, coastal terrace,^[1] or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin,^[2] mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity (sometimes called "tread"). Thus, it lies above or under the current sea level, depending on the time of its formation.^[3]^[4] It is bounded by a steeper ascending slope on the landward side and a steeper descending slope on the seaward side^[2] (sometimes called "riser"). Due to its generally flat shape, it is often used for anthropogenic structures such as settlements and infrastructure.^[3]

A raised beach is an emergent coastal landform. Raised beaches and marine terraces are beaches or wave-cut platforms raised above the shoreline by a relative fall in the sea level.^[5]

Around the world, a combination of tectonic coastal uplift and Quaternary sea-level fluctuations has resulted in the formation of marine terrace sequences, most of which were formed during separate interglacial highstands that can be correlated to marine isotope stages (MIS).^[6]

A marine terrace commonly retains a shoreline angle or inner edge, the slope inflection between the marine abrasion platform and the associated paleo sea-cliff. The shoreline angle represents the maximum shoreline of a transgression and therefore a paleo-sea level.

^ Pinter, N (2010): 'Coastal Terraces, Sealevel, and Active Tectonics' (educational exercise), from "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2011-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) [02/04/2011]
^ ^a ^b Pirazzoli, PA (2005a): 'Marine Terraces', in Schwartz, ML (ed) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 632–633
^ ^a ^b Strahler AH; Strahler AN (2005): Physische Geographie. Ulmer, Stuttgart, 686 p.
^ Leser, H (ed)(2005): ‚Wörterbuch Allgemeine Geographie. Westermann&Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Braunschweig, 1119 p.
^ "The Nat -". www.sdnhm.org.
^ Johnson, ME; Libbey, LK (1997). "Global review of Upper Pleistocene (Substage 5e) Rocky Shores: tectonic segregation, substrate variation and biological diversity". Journal of Coastal Research.

[Pinter2010-1] Pinter, N (2010): 'Coastal Terraces, Sealevel, and Active Tectonics' (educational exercise), from "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2011-04-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) [02/04/2011]

[Pirazzoli2005a-2] Pirazzoli, PA (2005a): 'Marine Terraces', in Schwartz, ML (ed) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 632–633

[Strahler2005-3] Strahler AH; Strahler AN (2005): Physische Geographie. Ulmer, Stuttgart, 686 p.

[Leser2005-4] Leser, H (ed)(2005): ‚Wörterbuch Allgemeine Geographie. Westermann&Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Braunschweig, 1119 p.

[5] "The Nat -". www.sdnhm.org.

[6] Johnson, ME; Libbey, LK (1997). "Global review of Upper Pleistocene (Substage 5e) Rocky Shores: tectonic segregation, substrate variation and biological diversity". Journal of Coastal Research.

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