Enquiry Question 2 - Key Idea 1

Question 1

What is Enquiry Question 2?

Answer 1

Marine erosion creates distinctive coastal landforms and contributes to local landscape.

Question 2

What is Key idea 1?

Answer 2

Different wave types influence beach morphology and beach sediment profiles, which vary at a variety of temporal scales from short term to longer term.

Question 3

How are waves created?

Answer 3

Friction between the wind and surface of the water generates circular movements of energy

Question 4

What happens when a wave approaches the shore:

Answer 4

The bottom of the wave experiences friction with the sea bed, - causing it to slow down, faster than the wave crest - movement becomes eliptical - causes waves to break - forming breakers.

Question 5

What impacts the strength of a wave?

Answer 5

• windspeed/strength
• the fetch
• the duration of wind

Question 6

Fetch:

Answer 6

Distance the wave travels in open water

Question 7

Swell waves:

Answer 7

Waves continue after wind stops - they have a long time to lose energy

Question 8

Constructive waves:

Answer 8

• low energy waves
• low, flat wave height
• long wavelength
• low wave frequency
• strong swash, pushing sediment up the beach, but weak backwash, so more deposition

Question 9

Destructive waves:

Answer 9

• high energy waves
• large wave height
• short wavelength
• high wave frequency
• little energy lost through friction, strong backwash carrying material away from the beach

Question 10

Beach morphology:

Answer 10

shape of a beach including its width and shape and any microfeatures (beach profile)

Question 11

Sediment profile:

Answer 11

the pattern of distrubution of different sized or shaped deposited material

Question 12

Offshore bar:

Answer 12

destructive waves, backwash removes sediment off the beach. As the backwash loses energy, deposition occurs in the offshore/nearshore region. once the ridge exists, it creates more friction with backwasg, leading to more deposition and therefore larger offshore bars

Question 13

Swash aligned beach:

Answer 13

when beaches/ coastlines are shelted means waves run parrallel to the beach and are swash aligned. waves travell parallel to the coastline - organised horizontally

Question 14

Drift aligned beach:

Answer 14

beaches affected by longshore-drift swash is aligned to the direction of prevailing wind.