A
shore or
shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an
ocean,
sea, or
lake. In
Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the
beach is at the edge of the shore, representing the
intertidal zone where there is one. In contrast to a
coast, a shore can border any body of water, while the coast must border an
ocean; that is, a coast is a type of shore. Shore is often substituted for coast where an oceanic shore is meant.
Shores are influenced by the
topography of the surrounding landscape, as well as by water induced
erosion, such as
waves. The
geological composition of rock and
soil dictates the type of shore which is created.
See also
