waves Flashcards
how do waves form?
wind blowing over the surface of the sea.
what things can determine sizes of the waves?
-how strong the wind is
-how long the wind has been blowing
-how far the wave has travelled
what does the moons gravitation pull help create?
tides
what does swash mean?
the waves washing up onto the shore at an angle due to the wind direction.
what does backwash mean?
when the water goes back into the sea after swash vertically.
the direction of backwash is determined by what?
gravity.
what are the two types of waves?
constructive waves and destructive waves.
constructive waves
-strong swash with a weak backwash, pushing the sand up but not taking any away into the sea.
-low wave height and long wave length.
-causes deposition(constructs a beach).
-common in summer.
-low frequency(around 8-10 per min).
destructive waves
-weak swash with a very strong backwash taking sand back into the sea.
-high wave height and short wave length.
-erodes(destroys)the coast.
-common in winter.
-high frequency(about 10-14 per min).