246 



EARTH FEATURES AND THEIR MEANING 



features of larger scale, and these in much softened outlines. Upon 

 the continents, on the contrary, the running water, taking advan- 

 tage of every slight difference in elevation and 

 searching out the hidden structure planes 

 within the rock, soon etches out a surface of the 

 most intricate detail. The effect of elevation 

 of the sea floor into the light of day will there- 

 fore be to produce an even shore line devoid of 

 harbors (Fig. 270). If the coast has risen 

 along visible planes of faulting near the sea 

 margin, the coast line, in addition to being even, 

 will usually be made up of notably straight ele- 

 ments joined to one another. 



A ragged coast line the mark of subsid- 

 ence. When in place of uplift a subsidence 

 occurs upon the coast, 

 the intricately etched 

 surface, resulting from 



the 



acteristic of a raised 

 coast. 



FIG. 271. Ragged coast line 

 of Alaska, the effect of sub- 

 sidence. 



FIG. 270.-The east 

 coast of Florida, with sky, COHICS to be in- 



even shore line char- vaded by the sea 

 along each trench and 

 furrow, so that a most 

 ragged outline is the result (Fig. 271). 



Such a coast 

 has many 

 harbors, 

 while the 



uplifted coast is as remarkable for its 

 lack of them. 



Slow uplift of the coast the 

 coastal plain and cuesta. A gradual 

 uplift of the coast is made apparent 

 in a progressive retirement of the sea 

 across a portion of its floor, thus ex- 

 posing this even surface of recent 

 FIG. 272. -Portion of Atlantic se diments. The former shore land 



coastal plain and neighboring old- ... i i 



land of the Appalachian Moun- w 111 be easily recognized by its-etched 

 tains. surface, which will now come into 



