7/22/2016

BayWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Bay
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Abayisabodyofwaterconnectedtoanoceanorlake,formedbyanindentationoftheshoreline.[1]Alargebay
maybecalledagulf,asea,asound,orabight.Acoveisasmallercircularorovalcoastalinletwithanarrow
entrancesomecovesmaybereferredtoasbays.Afjordisaparticularlysteepbayshapedbyglacialactivity.
Bayscanexistastheestuaryofariver,astheestuaryoftheParramattaRiverinAustralia.Baysmaybenestedin
eachotherforexample,JamesBayisanarmofHudsonBay.Somelargebays,suchastheBayofBengaland
theHudsonBay,havevariedmarinegeology.
Thelandsurroundingabaycanoftenblockwavesandreducethestrengthofwinds.Thusbaysweresignificant
inthehistoryofhumansettlementbecausetheycouldprovideasafeplaceforfishing.Latertheywereimportant
inthedevelopmentofseatradeasthesafeanchoragetheyprovideencouragedtheirselectionasports.[2]

ThebayatSanSebastin,Spain

Formation
Therearevariouswaysfromwhichbayscanbecreated.Thelargestbayshavedevelopedasaresultof
continentaldrift.[2]AsthesupercontinentGondwanabrokeupalongcurvedandindentedfaultlines,the
continentsmovedapartandtheworld'slargestbaysformed.TheseincludetheGulfofGuinea,PersianGulf,
GulfofAlaska,GulfofMexicoandtheBayofBengal,whichisthelargestbayintheworld.[2]
Anotherwaybaysformisviaglacialandrivererosion.[2]Abayformedbyaglacierisafjord.Riasarecreated
byriversandarecharacterisedbymoregradualslopes.Mostgulfandbaysformbythefoldingoftheearth's
crust,andbycoastalerosionduetowavesandcurrents.[2]Currentscanmakewavesmoreconstant,andsoft
rocksspeederosion.Hardrockerodedlessquickly,leavingheadlands.TheGulfofCaliforniaisanexampleofa
baycreatedbythegeologicalprocessoffolding.

TheBayofBengalinSouthAsia

Seealso
Bayplatform
Greatcapes
Headlandsandbays

ThebayofBaracoa,Cuba

References
1." "bay"(RandomHouseDictionary)".Retrieved17Jan2015.
2.Carreck,Rosalind,ed.(1982).TheFamilyEncyclopediaofNaturalHistory.TheHamlynPublishingGroup.p.202.ISBN9780112022572.

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