spits

Spits are narrow landforms that project from a coastline into a sea, lake, or estuary. They form when sediment is transported along the shore by longshore drift and deposited where the coastline changes direction or currents slow. As material accumulates, a spit grows outward and often curves toward the land under the influence of prevailing winds and waves. In some cases a spit links to the mainland, creating a sheltered area such as a lagoon or salt marsh behind it; in others it remains detached or develops into a barrier feature. Spits are dynamic and can migrate, lengthen, or shrink in response to storms, sea level changes, and sediment supply.

Other uses of the word spit include a cooking implement and a linguistic verb. In cooking, a spit is a long, slender rod used to skewer meat for roasting over a fire. The verb spit means to eject saliva from the mouth, and spits can be the present tense form in phrases like “he spits.” The plural form spits also appears when referring to multiple instances of such landforms, rods, or acts, depending on the context.

Ecology and human context are important in discussions of spits. They often host salt marshes, tidal flats, and bird colonies, forming unique brackish or wetland habitats. For people, spits can serve as navigation landmarks, fishing access points, or sites of tourism and recreation. Because they depend on sediment supply and shore processes, spits are vulnerable to erosion, storms, and human activity that alters coastal dynamics.