Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Rias, Beaches, and Tombolos!

An image from Google Earth shows the Presqu'île de Quiberon as it acts as a buffer for the coast of Carnac. The west side of the peninsula is know as the Côte Sauvage, or "savage coast" for its vicious winds and waves.

Traezhenn (Beach) 
As time passes, rough waves smack against the western side of the Presqu'île de Quiberon peninsula and, as a result, the land erodes. Such processes, however, leave fascinating scars such as Sea Stacks and Sea Arches. These lumps of rock that indicate to where the ancient coastlines once extended. They were created as the sea nibbled away the softer rock, leaving behind the “almost-island of Quiberon.” Drastic tides, caused by the pull of the moons gravity on the eraths oceans, and strong winds push the waves to the edge of the land when the water enters a more peaceful bay. After each visit, the water deposits bits of rock and crushed shells to from soft sand beaches and Tombolo to reconnect the “island” of Quiberon.

The Sea Arch found on the Côte Sauvage. Only the bravest of surfers use the waves here because the dangerous waters are strewn with rock and ancient Sea Stacks that are invisible at high tide.
Stêr (River)
Another beautiful feature in the Morbihan is the Ria. The ocean floods the Auray River and makes it and excellent location for a safe harbor. The river was flooded as the sea level rose, but at high tide the river is especially brackish and creates an interesting ecosystem for certain salt-resistant hygrophytes. The river meanders from the North passing through Auray and Brech, until it becomes a strait anthropogenic river. The purpose of this channel is to allow boats to travel further inland. In the 1900s, it was used to facilitate the transportation of goods to inland cities.   
Auray River (Ria) at high tide... The area looks much different at low tide...

Fin! Have a Great Summer!!



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