Calanque

For the national park located in Bouches-du-Rhône, see Calanques National Park.
Map of the Calanques between Marseille and La Ciotat, France
The Calanque de Sugiton is the largest located within the city limits of Marseille

A calanque (French: [kalɑ̃k], "inlet"; Corsican: calanca, plural calanche or calanchi; Occitan: calanca, plural calancas) is a narrow, steep-walled inlet that is developed in limestone, dolomite, or other carbonate strata and found along the Mediterranean coast. A calanque is a steep-sided valley formed within karstic regions either by fluvial erosion or the collapse of the roof of a cave that has been subsequently partially submerged by a rise in sea level.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Bird, E.C.F., 2008, Coastal Geomorphology: An Introduction, 2nd ed. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. West Sussex, England. ISBN 978-0-470-51729-1
  2. ^ Goudie, A., 2004, Encyclopedia of Geomorphology. Routledge. London, England. ISBN 0-415-27298-X
  3. ^ Monroe, W.H., 1970, A Glossary of Karst Terminology. Water-Supply Paper 1899-K. U.S. Geological Survey. Reston, Virginia.