Beaches
Beaches are accumulations of sediment (sand or shingle) found at the coastline where wave energy has diminished, sediment deposition exceeds erosion, and sediment supply is abundant. Beach profiles and sediment characteristics vary with wave energy and sediment sources.
Real World
Chesil Beach in Dorset is a 29-kilometre tombolo of graded shingle, where pebble size increases from pea-sized at the west end to egg-sized near Portland — demonstrating how wave energy and sediment sorting shape beach morphology.
Exam Focus
Distinguish between constructive and destructive wave processes when describing seasonal profile changes — this distinction is a common mark-scheme discriminator.
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