SPARTINA SALT MARSHES IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND: IV: THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF POOLE HARBOUR, DORSET.

The article deals with the physiography of Poole Harbour in Dorset, England. The shape of the harbour is largely due to a marine submergence and its branched configuration is typical of a valley system partly drowned by recent marine submergence with the highest parts persisting as promontories and islands. At the entrance of the harbour are sand pits thought to be derived partly from erosion of Tertiary cliffs to the north, and partly from the floor of Studland Bay to the south of the harbour entrance where Bagshot Beds are believed to outcrop. The formation of shore-lines and the development of marshes in the harbour depend on exposure to wave action at high tide.