Martinican sandy coves differ from the north to the south of the island by the nature of the sediments that compose them. It varies from the volcaniclastic type of the black sands in the north to the bioclastic type of the white sands in the south, such as here at Petite and Grande Anses des Salines at the southern tip of the island. In the north of Martinique, the coastal sedimentation results from the erosion of the volcanic slopes by the abundant rainfalls. The sandy materials released and transported by the torrents are deposited on the foreshore and brought back to the shore by the swells. In the south of the island, on the other hand, it is the dismantling of the surrounding reefs which is responsible for the high content of the beaches in calcium carbonate, a white or transparent mineral that gives its light color to the sand.