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Shingle
is a term used to describe beaches made of pebble-size stones. Pebbles
are classified as particles of rock of a size between 2 mm and 256 mm.
Sediment particle size table
The word
shingle is commonly understood in the UK, however "gravel"
is used internationally to describe similar coastal materials and landforms.
Gravel/shingle beaches form on shorelines where rock fragments have been
eroded and transported by wave activity. Gravel is moved by waves along
beaches by a process called 'longshore drift'
forming long shingle beaches and headlands.
Dungeness is a large headland made of gravel which has been transported
by waves along the south coast of England over many thousands of years.
The formation of Dungeness and stability of sucessive gravel barriers
over this period has been crucial in the development of Romney Marsh.
Large shingle coastal features like Dungeness are very rare, as are the
habitats they provide for plants and animal species.
Listen to a sonic transect across a Dungeness gravel beach
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