The sea

• Waves


  Formed by wind moving across the surface of the sea
• How waves are formed

  Wind moving across the surface of the sea
• Waves


  • Transport and deposit material along the coast
• Fetch


  The distance of open sea over which the wind blows
• Wave breaking


  Waves reach shallow water, the front of the wave comes in contact with sea bed, causing it to break as it moves towards the shore
• Swash


  The water that rushes up the beach when a wave breaks
• Backwash


  The water that returns back down the beach
• Constructive waves


  • Waves in which the swash is greater than the backwash, depositing materials
• Destructive waves


  • Waves in which the backwash is greater than the swash, eroding materials
• Coastal erosion processes


  1. Hydraulic action - The physical force of the waves breaks material off the coastline

  2. Abrasion - Loose material (rocks + sand) is thrown against the coastline

  3. Compression - When waves crash