By Rishab of Class 9-i

What are BAYS?

Bays are an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the

surrounding sea, due to the fact that the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. A large bay may also be called a gulf, sea, sound or bight.

Importance of BAYS
Bays were significant in the history of human settlement as they can provide a safe place for fishing.
Later, they were important in the development of sea trade as the safe anchorage they encouraged their selection as ports. Any bay contain fish and other sea creatures or be

adjacent to any other bay. E.g. Hudson Bay is adjacent to James Bay.

Formation of BAYS
There are various ways that bays can be created. The largest

bays have developed as a result of continental drift. These include the Gulf of Guinea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Bengal which is the largest bay in the world. Another way bays are formed is via glacial and river erosion. If formed by glaciers a bay is known as a fjord. Most gulf and bays are formed by the folding of the earth's crust as well as coastal erosion due to waves and currents. The Gulf of California is an example of a gulf created by the geological process of folding.

What are GULFS?

A gulf is a deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by

land, with a narrow mouth. It is also known as a body of water that is partly surrounded by land. It is usually larger than a bay E.g. The Gulf of Mexico

What are STRAITS?

A strait or straits is a narrow, navigable channel of

water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses. Some straits have the potential to generate significant tidal power using tidal stream turbines. Some of the well-known straits are The Strait of Gibraltar, Cook Strait in New Zealand, Palk Strait of Tamil Nadu in India and Sri Lanka and Bering Strait which connects the Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean.

What are BIGHTS?

A bight can be simply a bend or curve in any geographical feature-usually a bend or curve in the line between land and water. The term can also refer to a large (and often slightly receding) bay.
It is distinguished from a sound by being

shallower. E.g. Great Australian Bight, Bay of Campeche

What are SOUNDS?

In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, or it may identify a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land.
A sound generally connotes a protected anchorage. E.g. The Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand, Long Island Sound between Long Island, New York and Connecticut.

Pictures of Bays and Gulfs

The Bay of Bengal

The Gulf of Aden

Pictures of Straits, Bights and Sounds

The Bering Strait

Long Island Sound, New York (highlighted in pink)

The Great Australian Bight

THANK YOU