Beach Definitions

Question 1

What is a tide?

Answer 1

Tides are the rise and fall of the surface of the ocean, seen as the movement of water up and down the beach

Question 2

What is a cliff?

Answer 2

Cliffs border most of the uk coastline and are commonly formed from vertical rock faces

Question 3

What are offshore winds?

Answer 3

Offshore winds blow away from the shore and out to sea

Question 4

What are manmade structures?

Answer 4

Piers
Seawalls
Supports

Question 5

What are longshore currents?

Answer 5

Longshore currents are caused by the incoming waves being deflected at an angle by the shore

Question 6

What are sand bars?

Answer 6

Sandbars are mounds of sand offshore beneath the water surface

Question 7

What are sandbanks?

Answer 7

Sandbanks are mounds of sand offshore that are higher than the water surface at a low tide

Question 8

What are holes?

Answer 8

Holes (gullies and troughs) form where the current eroded the seabed material

Question 9

What is a rip current?

Answer 9

Rip currents are currents of water typically flowing from the shoreline back out to sea. They are commonly formed by a build up of water on the beach caused by wave or tidal motion