10.2 Wave Erosion and Deposition
Lesson Objectives
- Describe how the action of waves produces different shoreline features.
- Discuss how areas of quiet water produce deposits of sand and sediment.
- Discuss how some of the structures humans build to help defend against wave erosion.
Wave Action and Erosion
Have you ever been to visit a beach? Some beaches have large, strong rolling waves that rise
up and collapse as they crash into the shore. All waves areenergytraveling through some
type of material (Figure10.13). The waves that we are most familiar with travel through
water. Most of these waves form from wind blowing over the water; sometimes steady winds
that blow and sometimes from a storm that forms over the water. The energy of waves does
the work of erosion when a wave reaches the shore. When you find a piece of frosted glass
along a beach, you have found some evidence of the work of waves. What other evidence
might you find?
Figure 10.13: Ocean waves are energy traveling through water. ( 47 )As wind blows over the surface of the water, it disturbs the water, producing the familiar
shape of a wave. You can see this shape inFigure10.14. The highest part of a wave is
called thewave crest. The lowest part is called thewave trough. The vertical distance
from the highest part of a wave to the lowest is called thewave height. The horizontal