Eventually even the remaining land masses would be destroyed as the direction of offshore winds and the tide forced the coastline ever westwards.

BBC: Spurn Point 'not disappearing'

Tidal current: movement of water in a constant direction caused by the periodic rising and falling of the tide.

UNESCO: L O S S A R Y

And yet, Ms. Bradner sees the tide turning inevitably in the direction of digital because the potential benefits for retailers are too big to ignore.

FORBES: Will Safeway's Digital Offers Make Its Print Ads Obsolete?

In spite of the tide of consolidation in the oil industry, some undercurrents are still flowing in the minnows' direction.

ECONOMIST: Small oil firms

Flood-tide current: flow of water in a given direction that takes place between low water and high water.

UNESCO: L O S S A R Y