[2] Another common cause of isostatic change that can result in a submergent coastline is tectonic action.
[1] Many rias were formed by the rise in sea level after the melting of vast continental glaciers.
[3] Rias commonly have a widening funnel shape and gradually increasing depth as they move towards the coast.
The widening and deepening of the ria towards the sea usually causes an exaggerated tidal effect within the estuary.
A section of a glacially eroded valley is flooded by the sea when a fjord is formed.