▁of ▁parallel ▁led ges ▁of ▁sand stone ▁and ▁con gl omer ates ▁that ▁are ▁hard ▁at ▁the ▁surface ▁and ▁grow ▁co arse ▁and ▁soft ▁as ▁they ▁descend ▁to ▁sand y ▁banks . ▁ ▁Studies ▁have ▁various ly ▁described ▁the ▁structure ▁as ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁sho als , ▁cor al ▁re ef s , ▁a ▁r idge ▁formed ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁ow ing ▁to ▁thin ning ▁of ▁the ▁earth ' s ▁cr ust , ▁a ▁double ▁tom bol o , ▁a ▁sand ▁sp it , ▁or ▁bar rier ▁islands . ▁One ▁account ▁mentions ▁that ▁this ▁land form ▁was ▁formerly ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁tom bol o ▁that ▁split ▁into ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁sho als ▁by ▁a ▁slight ▁rise ▁in ▁mean ▁sea ▁level ▁a ▁few ▁thousand ▁years ▁ago . ▁ ▁Based ▁on ▁satellite ▁remote ▁sens ing ▁data , ▁but ▁without ▁actual ▁field ▁ver ification , ▁the ▁Marine ▁and ▁Water ▁Resources ▁Group ▁of ▁the ▁Space ▁Application ▁Centre ▁( S AC ) ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Space ▁Research ▁Organisation ▁( IS RO ) ▁con cludes ▁that ▁Adam ' s ▁Bridge ▁compr ises ▁ 1 0 3 ▁small ▁patch ▁re ef s ▁lying ▁in ▁a ▁linear ▁pattern . ▁The ▁feature ▁consists ▁of ▁the ▁re ef ▁cr est ▁( fl atten ed , ▁emer gent , ▁especially ▁during ▁low ▁t ides , ▁or ▁nearly ▁emer gent ▁segment ▁of ▁a ▁re ef ), ▁sand ▁c ays ▁( acc um ulations ▁of ▁loose ▁cor al ▁s ands ▁and ▁beach ▁rock ) ▁and ▁inter mitt ent ▁deep ▁channels . ▁The ▁cor al