Beach Characteristics Flashcards
What determines the nature of the beach characteristic?
The angle at which waves approach the coastline.
Which direction are drift-aligned beaches orientated?
Parallel to the direction of dominant longshore drift.
Where do drift aligned beaches generally develop?
Where the coastline is fairly regular, or where the predominant wave direction is at an angle to the beach.
Give an example of a drift aligned beach.
A spit
What happens to drift aligned beaches if there is a sudden change in the direction of the coastline?
The coastline can extend outwards.
What are drift aligned beaches formed by?
Longshore drift.
Which way are swash aligned beaches orientated?
Parallel to the incoming wave crests.
How much longshore drift occurs on swash aligned beaches?
There is a minimal amount of longshore drift.
Where can swash aligned beaches be found?
They can be found on irregular coastlines where longshore drift is impeded.
What type of beaches are produced by swash aligned beaches?
Smoothly curved, cancaved beaches
What are the four conditions that lead to marine deposition?
Low energy waves.
Constructive waves break early and spill onto the shore.
Sheltered environment.
Water loses energy through percolation.
Do large pieces of shingle produce a large or small gradient?
The larger the size of the material, the steeper the gradient.
What limits backwash in shingle beaches?
Water can
rapidly percolate through the shingle.
What type of gradient is produced by a sandy beach?
A gentle gradient is produced.
Where do ridges and runnels develop?
On sandy beaches
How long do ridges and runnels stay on the beach for?
They are a temporary feature.
What produces ridges and runnels?
This is caused by the spreading out of the waves energy across a wide area of beach. This produces ridges and intervening depressions at sandy, shallow beaches.
Whereabouts do ridges and runnels develop?
By the low water mark.
What causes ridges and runnels?
Swash and backwash