Earth Science: Wave & Currents

Longshore Current

Along the shore, parallel to the beach

Swash

When waves break, large amount of water and sand are pushed up beach at an angle called ____

Backwash

Most of the water runs straight back down beach under the next wave in a gentle current called ____

Groins

Built perpendicular to the beach

Jetties

Built on the sides of a river where it flows into an ocean

Breakwater structures

Built parallel to the beach

Groins and jetties

Built to stop beach erosion by trapping sand on ‘wave ward’ side but nah increase erosion on the lee side

Type of rock or soil

Climate

Topography vs. gentle slopes

Vegetation ~ slows down runoff

Amount of ground water available by:

Groundwater

Water in the ground

Evaporation

Liquid to gas

Transpiration

Evaporation of plants into the atmosphere

Infiltration

water sinking into ground

Evapotranspiration

Water going out

Combo of evaporation and transpiration

Unsaturated zone (Zone of Aeration)

Pore spaces filled with mainly air and some water

Saturated zone

All pore spaces filled with water