How was the West Gulf Coastal Plain formed?

Coastal plains can form in two basic ways. Some start as a continental shelf, a flat piece of land located below sea level. When the ocean level falls, the land is exposed, creating a coastal plain. A coastal plain can also develop when river currents carry rock, soil and other sedimentary material into the ocean.

Why is the Gulf Coastal Plains important?

The freshwater aquatic systems of the East Gulf Coastal Plain are among the most significant and at-risk aquatic biodiversity resources in North America, particularly for fish and mussel species (Master et al, 1998).

What does the Gulf Coastal Plain contain?

Stretching from Cape Cod south through Florida and west to the Texas Gulf Coast, the Coastal Plain includes such prominent features as the Chesapeake Bay, long chains of Atlantic and Gulf barrier islands, and the lower Mississippi River with its fragile delta.

Where does the Gulf Coastal Plain begin and end?

The Gulf Coastal Plain also extends into southern Mexico and up to the northern west coast states of the US. The Gulf Coastal Plain is a westward extension of the Atlantic Coastal Plain around the Gulf of Mexico.

How are the eastern and western coastal plains formed?

To the east and west of the peninsular plateau, two narrow strips of plain lands are found , which are respectively called Eastern Coastal Plain and Western Coastal Plain. Eastern Coastal and Western Coastal Plain are formed by the erosional and depositional & activities of the Sea waves and from the sediments brought by the peninsular rivers.

Where is the coastal plain in Louisiana and Texas?

Coastal plain in Louisiana and Texas. After constriction from the Mississippi embayment to 250 miles (400 km) in western Louisiana, the coastal plain continues southwestward with this breadth until it narrows to about 130 miles (210 km) in southern Texas near the crossing of the Colorado River (Texas Colorado River,…

What is the geology of the Gulf of Mexico?

Because it was covered by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for much of its history, the geologic terrain of the Coastal Plain is flat to rolling. Its bedrock is deeply covered with sediment, and the surface has extensive deposits of sand and gravel.