Sienna Rhodes
A sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or an ocean. It is often a narrow sea channel or an ocean channel between two land masses, such as a strait. Sounds are often formed by the sea invading a glacier valley or a river valley, resulting in a long inlet with sloping valley hillsides that descend below the water to form a sloping sea floor. In northern European usage, a sound is specifically a strait or the narrowest part of a strait. In Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea, there are over a hundred straits named Sund, mostly named for the islands they separate from the mainland or a larger island. The term sound is derived from the Old Norse word sund, meaning gap or narrow access. Sounds can be found in many parts of the world, including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or ocean. |
| Synonyms | Fjord, inlet, bay, bight, recessed portion of the ocean |
| Formation | When a glacier recedes in a valley it has carved out from a coastline; when the sea invades a glacier valley; when the sea floods a river valley. |
| Location | Bodies of water called "sounds" are common in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia |
| Examples | Puget Sound, Howe Sound, Albemarle Sound, Currituck Sound, Pamlico Sound, Marlborough Sound, Camden Sound |
| Industries | Fishing, tourism |
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What You'll Learn
A sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or ocean
In geography, a sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or ocean. The term is derived from the Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse word "sund", which means “swimming" or "gap". Sounds are often characterised by their distinct features, differentiating them from bays, bights, fjords, or sea channels. They are typically formed by the sea's invasion of a river valley, resulting in a long inlet with sloping valley hillsides that extend underwater. This process is more common in the formation of rias, such as the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand. Alternatively, sounds can be created when glaciers recede from valleys they have carved out or when the sea invades a glacier valley, forming steep and near-vertical sides.
Sounds are prevalent in certain regions, with the US, Canada, and Australia having a high number of them. For instance, Australia has at least nine named sounds, mostly located off the coast of Western Australia, such as Camden Sound, which is known for its humpback whale population. Canada is home to around 29 sounds, many found in the province of British Columbia, including Howe Sound, which is characterised by its triangular shape and surrounding high mountains. Howe Sound contains several islands, the largest being Gambier Island, a popular tourist destination.
In terms of definition, a sound can be described as a relatively narrow passage of water between the mainland and an island. It can also refer to an inlet, bay, or recessed portion of the ocean. Sounds often provide protected anchorages and can be found as part of large islands. In northern European usage, a sound is often synonymous with a strait or the narrowest part of a strait. The term "sound" was historically applied by the British to inlets containing large islands, such as Puget Sound in the US and Howe Sound in Canada.
The usage of the term "sound" can vary based on geographic context. In Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea, there are numerous straits named "Sund", often named after the islands they separate from the continent or a larger island. "Sund" is also used in place names in the Baltic Sea by Germans, such as "Fehmarnsund" and "Stralsund". In contrast, "sound" is used more generally to refer to estuaries, such as in the case of Puget Sound, a fjord estuary formed by glacial activity. Estuaries like Puget Sound are fragile ecosystems that have faced increasing threats from human activity over the past century.
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Sounds are wider than fjords and deeper than bights
In geography, a sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or an ocean. It is often described as a large sea or ocean inlet that lies parallel to the coastline and commonly separates a coastline from an island. Sounds are formed in a variety of ways, including when a glacier recedes in a valley it has carved out from a coastline or when the sea invades a glacier valley. Sounds can also be formed when the sea floods a river valley, resulting in a long inlet with sloping valley hillsides that descend to sea level and continue beneath the water to form a sloping sea floor. These sounds are more appropriately called rias. Sounds are often deeper than bights and wider than fjords.
The term "sound" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse word "sund," which means "swimming" or "gap." In northern European usage, a sound is often used interchangeably with a strait or the narrowest part of a strait. In Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea, there are over a hundred straits named Sund, mostly named for the islands they separate from the continent or a larger island. The Sound is also the common international short name for Øresund, the narrow stretch of water separating Denmark and Sweden.
Sounds are found in many parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. The United States, Canada, and Australia have a particularly high number of sounds. Puget Sound in Washington, Currituck Sound, Pamlico Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Camden Sound are some examples of sounds in North America. Australia has at least nine named sounds, including Camden Sound, which is known for hosting the largest breeding humpback whale population in the world. New Zealand is home to approximately ten sounds, including the Marlborough Sounds, which are formed by the sea's invasion of a river valley.
Sounds are important for various reasons, including their ecological significance and contribution to local economies. For example, the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina is home to a herring management area, supporting the state's fisheries and economy. Sounds also provide protected anchorages for ships and boats.
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Sounds are often formed by seas flooding a river valley
In geography, a sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or an ocean. It is often characterised as an inlet of seawater that diverts from the main ocean. Sounds can be formed in two ways. Firstly, when seawater moves inland through a river valley, creating a harbour surrounded by hills and mountains. Secondly, seawater may separate an area of land from a larger land mass, forming an island near the shore. Sounds are often formed by seas flooding a river valley. This results in a long inlet where the sloping valley hillsides descend to sea level and continue underwater, forming a sloping sea floor. These sounds are more appropriately called rias. The Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand are examples of this formation.
The term 'sound' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse word 'sund', meaning 'swimming' or 'gap' (or 'narrow access'). In Scandinavian and Baltic Sea areas, there are over a hundred straits named Sund, mostly named for the island they separate from the continent or a larger island. In these areas, the term 'sound' is used interchangeably with other geographic terms like bays or fjords. In northern European usage, a sound is a strait or the narrowest part of a strait. The Sound, for example, is the short name for Øresund, the waterway separating Denmark and Sweden.
Sounds can also be formed when a glacier carves out a valley on a coast and then recedes, or when the sea invades a glacier valley. This often results in steep, near-vertical sides that extend deep underwater. Sounds can be found in many places around the world, including Chile, Australia, Canada, and the United States. They are important for industries such as fishing and tourism, and they can also provide safe harbours for ships.
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Sounds can also be formed by glaciers carving out a valley on a coast
In geography, a sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or ocean. It is often an inlet that is deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord, or a narrow sea or ocean channel between two land masses. Sounds can also be lagoons between a barrier island and the mainland. Sounds are often formed when seas flood a river valley, resulting in a long inlet with sloping valley hillsides that descend to sea level and continue beneath the water to form a sloping sea floor.
One of the ways sounds are formed is when glaciers carve out a valley on a coast and then recede. The glaciers produce sounds that often have steep, near-vertical sides that extend deep underwater. This formation is more appropriately called a "ria". An example of this type of formation is the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand.
Glaciers are typically wider than streams of similar length, and they tend to erode at their bases and sides. This results in the formation of V-shaped valleys with relatively flat bottoms and steep sides, which often have a distinctive ""U" shape. As the ice accumulates, it begins to flow downward and outward under its own weight. When glaciers retreat, they leave behind landscape features such as lakes, valleys, and mountains. Many hollowed-out areas carved by glaciers become lakes, and the bowl-shaped cirques where most alpine glaciers form become mountain lakes called tarns.
Glacial retreat can also create other landscape features. For example, materials deposited by a retreating glacier are called ground moraines, and the jumbled mixture of rock, gravel, and dirt that makes up ground moraines is called "till". Much of the fertile soil in the Great Plains of North America was formed from layers of till left by ancient ice sheets.
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Sounds are found in the US, Canada, and Australia
In geography, a sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or an ocean. It may be an inlet that is deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord, or a narrow sea or ocean channel between two land masses. The term 'sound' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse word 'sund', which means 'swimming' or ''gap'. Sounds are found in the US, Canada, and Australia, as well as in other parts of the world.
The United States
The US has several sounds, including Puget Sound in Washington, Howe Sound in British Columbia, and Currituck Sound. Puget Sound, located in the northwest part of the country, is known for its scenic views and is a popular tourist destination. Howe Sound, located in British Columbia, is characterised by its triangular shape and the surrounding high mountains.
Other sounds in the US include Saint Helena Sound, Salisbury Sound in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, and Rhode Island Sound. The term "sound" was historically applied to inlets containing large islands during the period of British exploration in the late 18th century.
Canada
Canada is home to around 29 sounds, with many located off the coast of the British Columbia province in the northwest. Some of the notable sounds in Canada include Howe Sound, Barkley Sound, Desolation Sound, Fitz Hugh Sound, and Lancaster Sound. Howe Sound, located northwest of Vancouver, is known for its triangular shape and the surrounding high mountains.
Australia
Australia has at least nine named sounds, mostly located off the coast of Western Australia. Some of the notable sounds in Australia include Camden Sound in the Kimberley region, York Sound, Capel Sound on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and King George Sound. Camden Sound is known for hosting the largest breeding population of humpback whales in the world, estimated at around 22,000 individuals.
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Frequently asked questions
A sound is a smaller body of water usually connected to a sea or an ocean. It is often a narrow passage of water between the mainland and an island.
The term 'sound' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse word 'sund', which means swimming or gap.
Some examples of sounds include Puget Sound in the US, Albemarle Sound in North Carolina, and Camden Sound in Australia.
Sounds are often formed by the sea invading a river valley, creating a long inlet with sloping valley hillsides that extend underwater. They can also be formed by glaciers carving out valleys in coastlines or by tectonic activity.
A sound is wider than a fjord and is commonly separated from the coastline by an island. Fjords are surrounded by mountains and have a shallow mouth where they open to the sea, with the deepest part of the fjord found inland.
