A sand dune is a small ridge or hill of sand found at the top of a beach, above the reach of the waves.

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A sandy beach is usually formed in a sheltered bays, where low energy, constructive waves transport material onto the shore.

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A bar is created when there is a gap in the coastland with water in it. This could be a bay or a natural hollow in the coastland. The process of longshore drift occurs and this carries material across the front of the bay. Material is pushed up onto beaches at a 45-degree angle when the swash brings it onto the coastline. The backwash takes it back out towards the sea at a right angle to the coast. Through this process, the material is constantly moved along the coastline. The deposited material eventually joins up with the other side of the bay and a strip of deposited material blocks off the water in the bay. The area behind the newly formed bar is known as a lagoon.

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Offshore bars form when sediment is transported on and off a beach. Destructive waves remove sediment from the beach and form the offshore bar.

Find out more about landforms of coastal deposition.

Find out more about landforms of coastal deposition.