Waves

• What is a wave?

  a disturbance on the surface of the sea or ocean, in the form of a moving ridge or swell.
• What causes waves?


  waves are caused by the transfer of energy from the wind to the sea due to friction of wind on water's surface
• What factors affect size of wave?

  • wind speed
  • wind duration
  • fetch
• What's fetch?


  the distance the wave has travelled
• movement of a wave up a beach

  swash
• movement of wave down a beach

  backwash
• Two types of waves

  destructive and constructive
• Which type of wave builds up a beach?

  constructive
• Constructive waves


  • strong swash
  • weak backwash
• destructive waves 


  • weak swash
  • strong backwash