Which term describes a sand or gravel feature that connects an island to the mainland?

• A. Tombolo
• B. Wave-Cut Platform
• C. Well-Mixed Estuary
• D. Benthic

Answer: (A)

The term describing a sand or gravel feature that connects an island to the mainland is tombolo. This landform forms when sediment carried by waves and currents builds a spit or bar that extends from the mainland toward an nearby island. As the spit grows and eventually reaches the island, a narrow land connection remains, effectively linking the two landmasses. This process relies on a close proximity between island and mainland and sufficient sediment supply to build the connecting bridge of sand or gravel. By contrast, a wave-cut platform is a bench cut into rock at the base of a cliff by wave erosion, a well-mixed estuary is a type of estuary with relatively uniform salinity due to strong mixing, and benthic refers to the organisms living on or near the bottom of a body of water, not a landform.