Coastal Processes and Wave Types Quiz

What determines the size and energy of a wave?

• The temperature of the sea

• The color of the water

• The time of day

• The fetch, strength of the wind, and duration of the wind

What is the swash?

• The distance between waves

• The water flowing towards a beach when a wave breaks

• The height of the wave

• The movement of water down the beach

What characterizes a destructive wave?

• Weak swash and strong backwash

• Strong swash and weak backwash

• Low frequency and strong swash

• Waves that are low and further apart

What is the role of the backwash in destructive waves?

• It strengthens the swash

• It creates new waves

• It removes sediment from the beach

• It builds up the beach

What is a characteristic of constructive waves?

• They have a strong backwash

• They remove material from the beach

• They are steep and close together

• They have a strong swash and weak backwash

How do constructive waves affect the beach?

• They cause landslides

• They create cliffs

• They build up the beach

• They erode the beach

What is the fetch?

• The depth of the sea

• The speed of the wind

• The height of a wave

• The distance a wave has traveled

What happens when the backwash is stronger than the swash?

• The beach is built up

• Sediment is removed from the beach

• Waves become constructive

• The sea level rises

Which type of wave is more likely to have a low frequency?

• Seismic waves

• Tidal waves

• Constructive waves

• Destructive waves

What is the main effect of a strong swash in constructive waves?

• It removes sediment from the beach

• It causes erosion

• It creates steep waves

• It builds up the beach