Page 105 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

COASTAL LANDSCAPES 103

PACIFIC OCEAN NORTHEAST since the end of the last ice age. This PACIFIC OCEAN CENTRAL from satellite craters of the active
uplift has resulted from interactions volcano Kilauea. Lava from the Pu’u
Big Sur at the nearby boundary between the Hawaiian Lava Coast O’o crater flows some 9 miles (15 km)
Pacific and North American tectonic to the sea, where it cools and hardens
TYPE Intermediate coast plates—this region is crisscrossed by a TYPE Primary coast to form land. This coastal landscape is
FORMATION Tectonic complex system of faults in Earth’s FORMATION Lava flow a primitive scene of black beaches and
uplift combined with crust and is subjected to frequent into the sea from an dark cliffs made of rough, fractured
rapid wave erosion earthquakes. At Big Sur a combination active volcano lava. Plants begin to colonize newly
EXTENT 90 miles of tectonic uplift and relentless wave EXTENT 14 miles (20 km) formed areas of the coast within
(145 km) erosion has produced steep cliffs and months of their formation.
LOCATION Southeast of San Francisco, coast of partially formed marine terraces LOCATION Southeastern coast of the Big Island
California, US (platforms cut at the base of cliffs by of Hawaii, US STEAM PLUMES
waves and then lifted up). The coast is As red-hot lava enters the sea, it solidifies
The Big Sur coastline of central susceptible to landslides as a result of One of the fastest ways for a coast to amid huge plumes of steam. Newly forming
California, where the rugged Santa wave action, the weakening of the change shape is as a result of lava flow shoreline sometimes collapses to reveal
Lucia Mountains descend steeply into cliffs by faulting and fracturing, the to the sea. On southeastern Big Island, ripped-open lava tubes.
the Pacific Ocean, is one of the most destruction of vegetation by summer new coast has been added intermittently
spectacular in the US. Like much of fires, and heavy winter rainfall. since 1969 as a result of lava flows
the west coast of North America, Big
Sur is an emergent shoreline, in RAISED PLATFORM
that the coast has risen up In this view of part of Big Sur, a grassed-over
faster than sea level marine terrace (the green area) is visible
above the present-day cliff, with a raised
ancient cliff behind it.

PACIFIC OCEAN SOUTHEAST The Chilean fjordlands are a labyrinth areas within the mountains on the it rises to cross the Andes. On the
of fjords, islands, inlets, straits, and Chile–Argentina border called the edges of the fjords, waterfalls cascade
Chilean Fjordlands twisting peninsulas, lying to the west Northern and Southern Patagonian down steep granite walls, while
of the snow-capped peaks of the Ice Fields. The glaciers left behind hundreds of species of birds nest and
TYPE Primary coast southern Andes. The fjordlands extend a network of long, deeply gouged feed around the often mist-shrouded
FORMATION Deep for most of the length of southern valleys, which were filled by glacier coast and islands. Mammals that live
glacier-carved valleys Chile, as far south as Tierra del Fuego, meltwater and then flooded by the sea along this coast include sea lions,
flooded by sea-level rise and their total area is some 21,500 to form today’s fjords. Rainfall here is elephant seals, and marine otters.
EXTENT 950 miles square miles (55,000 square km). heavy, and clear skies are rare
(1,500 km) Some 10,000 years ago, this region because the moisture-laden
LOCATION Pacific coast of southern Chile from Puerto was covered in glaciers, but these have Pacific air cools and
Montt to Punta Arenas largely retreated into large ice-filled forms clouds as

ICE-CHOKED FJORD
The calving ends of outlet
glaciers, which choke the
waters with icebergs, are
found at the landward end
of some fjords. OCEAN ENVIRONMENTS