Beaches - The morphology of beaches

6 important questions on Beaches - The morphology of beaches

Where does the beach width depend on?

Slope, tidal range, prevailing winds, sediment type

Which three zones of wave action can generally be identified and what does it mean?

1. Breaker zone: when the wave approach the shore, become unstable and break.
2. Surf zone: generated by the breaking waves.
3. Swash zone: where the smaller waves are

What are the two extreme beaches?

1. shallow slope and wide intertidal zone.
2. Steep beach with narrow intertidal zone and berms.
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What can happen during high tide when you walk down to the sea in shallow sloping beaches?

When the tide is rising, it can be dangerous to walk down to the sea across a beach with a well-defined ridge-and-runnel zone. The runnels fill with water first and it is easy to find yourself stranded on a swash bar, separated from the next bar or the shore by a stretch of often relatively deep, fast-flowing water.
Ridge-and-runnel zones are formed by sediment movement in the surf and swash zones.

What can happen due to seasonal variations in sediment transport?

Sand of beached is eroded, removed and redeposited again due to cross-shore sediment transport and longitudinal transport.

What are edge waves?

Waves approaching the shore obliquely trapped by refraction and reflection.

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