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Coastal Environments
Quick questions on Waves, tides and coastal energy explained: H2 Geography
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is wave generation?Show answer
Waves form when wind blows over the sea, exerting frictional drag that transfers energy to the surface and sets water particles into circular orbital motion. The energy carried depends on three factors:
What are tides?Show answer
Tides are the periodic rise and fall of sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and, less so, the Sun, which raise tidal bulges that the Earth rotates beneath. The tidal range (difference between high and low water) sets the vertical zone over which waves operate:
What is the sediment budget?Show answer
A coast behaves according to the balance between energy input and sediment supply. Where rivers, eroding cliffs or offshore banks deliver abundant sediment, deposition can dominate and beaches grow; where supply is starved, the same waves cause net erosion. Thinking of the coast as a sediment cell, with sources, transport and sinks, ties the whole system together.
What is q1?Show answer
Name the three factors that determine the energy of a wave. [3 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain why constructive waves build a beach while destructive waves erode it. [3 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain how a large tidal range affects where wave energy acts on a coast. [2 marks]
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