Peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland, is connected to the mainland on only one side, and is mostly surrounded by water. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word peninsula derives,. The word entered English in the 16th century.Definitions
A peninsula is generally defined as a piece of land surrounded on most sides by water.A peninsula may be bordered by more than one body of water, and the body of water does not have to be an ocean or a sea. A piece of land on a very tight river bend or one between two rivers is sometimes said to form a peninsula, for example in the New Barbadoes Neck in New Jersey, United States. A peninsula may be connected to the mainland via an isthmus; for example, the Isthmus of Corinth connects to the Peloponnese peninsula.
Formation and types
Peninsulas can be formed by continental drift, glacial erosion, glacial meltwater, glacial deposition, marine sediment, marine transgressions, volcanoes, divergent boundaries or river sedimentation. More than one factor may contribute to the formation of a peninsula. For example, in the case of Florida, continental drift, marine sediment, and marine transgressions all contributed to its shape.Peninsulas can also be man-made. Typically, these are built as protection from ocean or sea waves, by building a Breakwater, which sometimes connects back to land. They can also be built to expand areas of a city; for example, Copenhagen is planning to create a peninsula that houses 35,000 residents by 2070.
Glaciers
In the case of formation from glaciers, peninsulas can be created due to glacial erosion, meltwater or deposition. If erosion formed the peninsula, softer and harder rocks were present, and since the glacier only erodes softer rock, it formed a basin. This may create peninsulas, and occurred for example in the Keweenaw Peninsula.In the case of formation from meltwater, melting glaciers deposit sediment and form moraines, which act as dams for the meltwater. This may create bodies of water that surround the land, forming peninsulas.
If deposition formed the peninsula, the peninsula was composed of sedimentary rock, which was created from a large deposit of glacial drift. The hill of drift becomes a peninsula if the hill formed near water but was still connected to the mainland, for example during the formation of Cape Cod about 23,000 years ago.
Others
In the case of formation from volcanoes, when a volcano erupts magma near water, it may form a peninsula. Peninsulas formed from volcanoes are especially common when the volcano erupts near shallow water. Marine sediment may form peninsulas by the creation of limestone. A rift peninsula may form as a result of a divergent boundary in plate tectonics, while a convergent boundary may also form peninsulas. Peninsulas can also form due to sedimentation in rivers. When a river carrying sediment flows into an ocean, the sediment is deposited, forming a delta peninsula.Marine transgressions may form peninsulas, but may also affect existing peninsulas. For example, the water level may change, which causes a peninsula to become an island during high water levels. Similarly, wet weather causing higher water levels make peninsulas appear smaller, while dry weather make them appear larger. Sea level rise from global warming will permanently reduce the size of some peninsulas over time.