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Influence of waves and sediment on beach morphology - Coggle Diagram
Influence of waves and sediment on beach morphology
What is beach morphology dependant on?
wave type
energy
sediment type
seabed
sand forms wide beaches with a gentle gradient where as shingle beaches are steeper and narrower because shingle has alrger sediment particle size
swash on shingle beaches will be stronger than backwash because of high percolation rates
swash on sandy beaches has a long run up due to the gentler gradient
sediment is moved up a shingle beach but the backwash is too weak due to percolation to pull material off the beach
Waves
contructive waves have a stronger swash than backwash therefore is able to carry material up the beach
destructive waves have a stronger backwash than swash therefore pulling material from off the beach
sediment
fine sediments don't require as much energy to be eroded and transported
higher energy environments therefore characterized by coarser sediment sizes
Changes in beach morphology
occur in sweep zone between high and low tide
Uk beaches are subject to both wave types
during winter, stormier weather will dominate
in summer months, construvitve gentle waves are more common
erosion rates usually higher in winter due to more destructive wave action
during storms, larger sediment maybe be thrown up the beach - e.g pebbles
constructive waves will replenish the beach as they add sediment to beaches