wave features Flashcards
Wave fetch
The distance of open water over which a wave has passed. Maximum fetch is the distance from one coastline to the next landmass, it often coincides with prevailing wind direction (South West in the UK).
Wave crest
Highest point of a wave.
Wave trough
Lowest point of a wave
Wave height
Distance between trough and crest.
Wave length
Distance between one crest/trough and the next
Constructive waves
These are deposition waves as they lead to sediment build up, and are most common where a large fetch exists.
Destructive waves
These act as agents of erosion, because backwash is greater than swash.
Wave refraction
As waves approach a coast they are refracted so that their energy is concentrated around headlands but reduced around bays