The distance a wave has travelled.
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Fetch, wind speed and wind duration.
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Constructive wave
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Constructive waves
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Constructive and destructive waves.
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Coastal erosion is the wearing away of the land by the sea.
Find out more about the processes of coastal erosion.
Corrasion, abrasion, hydraulic action, attrition and corrosion/solution.
Find out more about the processes of coastal erosion.
Corrosion/solution is when certain types of cliff erode as a result of weak acids in the sea.
Find out more about the processes of coastal erosion.
Corrasion is when destructive waves pick up beach material (e.g. pebbles) and hurl them at the base of a cliff. Over time this can loosen cliff material forming a wave-cut notch.
Find out more about coastal erosion.
Attrition is when waves cause rocks and pebbles to bump into each other and break up.
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Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical structure (composition).
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Salt weathering is when salt spray from the sea gets into a crack in a rock. It may evaporate and crystallise, putting pressure on the surrounding rock and weakening the structure.
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Weathering is the breakdown of rock in situ by the action of rainwater, extremes of temperature, and biological activity.
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Freeze-thaw weathering occurs when rocks are porous (contain holes) or permeable (allow water to pass through). Water enters the rock and freezes. The ice expands by around 9%. This causes pressure on the rock until it cracks. Repeated freeze-thaw can cause the rock to break up.
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Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock through changing its chemical composition.
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Solution, suspension, saltation and traction.
Find out more about coastal transportation.
Any three from:
- Waves enter an area of shallow water/waves enter a sheltered area, eg a cove or bay
- There is little wind
- A river or estuary flows into the sea reducing wave energy
- There is a good supply of material and the amount of material being transported is greater than the wave energy can transport.
Find out more about coastal deposition.
Longshore drift happens when waves approach the beach at an angle. The swash (waves moving up the beach) carries material up and along the beach. The backwash (waves moving back down the beach) carries material back down the beach at right angles. This is the result of gravity. This process slowly moves material along the beach and provides a link between erosion and deposition. The material is transported through suspension, traction, solution and saltation. Longshore drift provides a link between erosion, transportation and deposition.
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Traction – large pebbles and boulders are rolled along the seafloor.
Find out more about coastal transportation.
Longshore drift
Find out more about longshore drift.
