Fomm Ir-Riħ and the vigorous nature of its shingle beaches

Abstract

The geomorphological landscape in the area of Fomm ir-Riħ, north-west Malta, is characterised by numerous coastal features, which have been formed in response to tectonic forces and lithology. The coastal morphology is shaped by plunging cliffs to the south of the western extremity of Malta’s Great Fault. Slopes in Blue Clay and scree slopes (in Maltese language ‘rdum’) dominate in the north, where both past and current processes of mass movement have been important. Perhaps the most striking coastal processes and their resulting micro-scale morphological and sedimentological features occur at Fomm ir-Riħ as two shingle pocket beaches. Overall, Fomm ir-Riħ Bay may be described as a scenic and tranquil location on the coast of Malta, which offers a plethora of geomorphological features that include cliffs, clay slopes, scree slopes and shingle beaches.