The backwaters of Kerala (Kayals) form a unique brackish water ecosystem. Which geomorphic process is primarily responsible for the formation of these barrier-beach backwaters along the Malabar coast?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The backwaters of Kerala, locally termed kayals, are formed through coastal geomorphic action where marine wave energy and longshore drift deposit sand bars and spits parallel to the shoreline, isolating coastal lagoons from the Arabian Sea. This dynamic littoral process creates extensive networks of navigable brackish water channels fed by rivers descending from the Western Ghats.