Type
Coastline, River, Valley
Area of origin
Spain
Area of use
International
A river valley submerged by rising sea-levels to form an inlet or estuary. Rias are post-glacial landforms and typically have ‘v’ shaped profiles rather than the flat-bottoms of glacial modified fjords.
The Kingsbridge estuary in Devon is a good example of a ria in the UK.
Etymology
Spanish ria ‘mouth of a river’, ‘estuary’
Example locations
- Kingsbridge estuary
Devon
Entry contributors:
Jerry Cuthbert