Factors that effect the rate of erosion

Question 1

What is wave steepness and breaking point?

Answer 1

Steeper waves and high energy waves have a greater erosive power than low energy waves.
Power of the waves- waves that break at the foot of a cliff release more energy than those that break distance from the shore.

Question 2

What is the fetch?

Answer 2

How far the wave travelled determines how much energy has been generated in it.

Question 3

What is sea depth?

Answer 3

A steeply-shelving seabed at the coast will create higher and steeper waves.

Question 4

What is coastal configuration?

Answer 4

Headlands attract wave energy through refraction.

Question 5

What is beach presence?

Answer 5

Beaches absorb wave energy and can therefore provide protection against marine erosion.

Question 6

Steep narrow beaches do what?

Answer 6

Dissipate the energy from flatter waves.

Question 7

Flatter wider beaches do what?

Answer 7

Spread out the incoming wave energy and are best at dissipating high and rapid energy inputs.

Question 8

Shingle beaches do what?

Answer 8

Also deal with steep waves as energy is rapidly dissipated through friction and percolation.

Question 9

What is human activity?

Answer 9

Many people remove protective materials from the beach( sand and shingle) which may lead to more erosion. Or they reduce erosion by the construction of sea defences.
Sea defences in one place, however may lead to increased erosion in another.