IV. Retreating Shorelines
175
The shoreline is described as a set of contiguous coastal segments with three
groups of variables : morpho-sedimentological characteristics of the coastal
zone ; evolutionary trend of the shoreline (erosion, stability, accretion) ; presence
or absence of coastal defense works. The coastline is broken up into
homogeneous segments on the basis of morpho-sedimentological units. The
smallest coastal segment can have a length of 100 m (328 ft) (e.g. pocket
beaches, small harbors, embayments).
The following features and characteristics have been retained •
Morpho-sedimentological features • rocky coast, beaches (unconsolidated
sediments) " tidal marshes, waddens, polders ; artificial coastal segments.
OK
- ~--f~"
~ o
20000
150~0
f~O0
•
t
c
0
OK
o
NL
B
uK
tRL,
F
[
P
i
G~
Fig. 3 : Distribution of tile length of tile coastline within the eleven coastal countries of
tile European Union.