Question 1 Report
Table 1 gives wave observations made from a pier on four days at a bay on the Atlantic coast. Fig. 1 shows the bay, its sheltering headlands and the position of the observer. The class wants to decide which day was most likely to produce destructive waves and rapid beach change.
| Day | Wave height (m) | Wave frequency (waves per minute) | Swash distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 0.5 | 7 | 5.8 |
| Tuesday | 1.6 | 15 | 3.1 |
| Wednesday | 0.7 | 8 | 6.2 |
| Thursday | 1.3 | 14 | 3.6 |
(a) Which day had the greatest wave height? [1]
(b) Draw a labelled sketch of a destructive wave approaching the beach. [2]
(c) Outline why destructive waves tend to remove sediment from a beach. [3]
(a) Tuesday [1] (b) Award [1] for a steep, high wave with close crests; [1] for stronger backwash than swash, labelled (c) High-frequency waves give little time for water to drain [1]; backwash is stronger than swash [1]; sediment is pulled down the beach / offshore [1]
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