THE EFFECTS OF LITHIFIED CALCIUM CARBONATE ON TROPICAL COASTAL
PROCESSES
JOHN A. BLACK
Suffolk Community College
Selden, N.Y. 11784, U.S.A.
The processes that occur along all of the world's coastline are predictable in terms of sediment transport and
deposition. There are however, major differences in the coastal processes of the tropics and subtropics when compared
to the more northerly and southerly regions. In temperate and polar regions there is a net production of coastal
sediment due to the mechanical and chemical weathering of rock. In contrast, along tropical and subtropical carbonate
coasts there is a net loss of sediment as the unconsolidated material lithifies to form eolianite and beach rock.
Since lithification of carbonate sediments is rapid, tropical and subtropical unconsolidated coasts can be converted
to rocky shorelines in a relatively short time frame. Such lithification has profound effects on the coastal geomorphology
of these areas. These effects may be localized and result in shoreline accretion, which may be reflected downcurrent
where recession will occur, or may encompass large areas of shoreline where arcuate coast are formed.
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