Beach Ridges as Favored Locales for Human Settlement on Pacific Islands

摘要: Coastal beach ridges have been favored locales for human habitations on Pacific islands since initial settlement. Their smooth crests shaped by surf action form sandy substrates that differ in morphology from eolian dunes. Island were accreted to island cores during post-mid-Holocene drawdown regional hydro-isostatic sea level include coastal spits partially enclose backbeach wetlands, tombolos tie previously separate islets together, and cheniers elongate elevated tracts accretionary plains. Some directly the flanks of bedrock islands, but others grew at varying distances ancestral shorelines trap remnants offshore lagoons as lakes or swamps marshes between exposures bedrock. Composite chenier plains formed successive lateral accretion multiple over time are prominent locally broad lowlands. Longshore sand transport driven prevailing trade winds influences ridge evolution dynamics reflected textures confirm dominance onshore movement wave attack ridges.