Sources of Energy in Coastal Environment 1

Question 1

Why is wind such a vital input into the coastal system?

Answer 1

Wind is a coastal energy source

Question 2

Prevailing wind direction?

Answer 2

Surface wind that blows mainly from a particular direction.

Question 3

What is fetch and why is it important?

Answer 3

Fetch is the distance over which winds blows. It shows how powerful the waves is.

Question 4

How are waves created?

Answer 4

Waves are the foward movement of the oceans water due to the oscillation of water particles by the frictional drag of wind over the water’s surface.

Question 5

How does wind act as an ‘agent of erosion’

Answer 5

Wind can pick up sediment from the coast and use it to erode

Question 6

Wave height?

Answer 6

Height differences between wave crest and trough

Question 7

Wave length

Answer 7

Distance btw sucessive crests

Question 8

Wave frequency?

Answer 8

Time for a wave to travel the distance of a wave length

Question 9

What causes wave to break?

Answer 9

As waves approaches shallow water, friction increases and base of the wave slows down. This increases height of the wave until the upper part plunges foward.