Alongshore sed. transport, refraction, rocky coasts - Lecture 8 Flashcards
What determines wave breaking height and angle?
Refraction
Waves slow down in shallow water, different parts of crest encounter different depths on bed, slower movement results in bending of wave
What is refraction?
Crests bend parallel to beach
Swells - faster velocity, slows down more therefore bends more
What does the amount of waves bending depend on?
Velocity differences
Angle angle of approach
If crest is stretched, wave height decreases
Why do cliffs occur on some coasts and barriers on others?
The Bruun rule
Difference is a matter of slope
What is the Bruun rule?
Coastal profile will move up/down, whilst maintaining it’s shape
What does the profile have to look like to create a cliff?
If the landscape slope is greater than the shoreface slope and erosional rate determines some beach, no beach or wide beach
