beach
Sign in to saveA beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae. Sediments settle in different densities and structures, depending on the local wave action and weather, creating different textures, colors and gradients or layers of material.
AI overview
A beach is a shoreline made up of loose particles like sand, gravel, and shells that accumulate where land meets water. The arrangement and appearance of these materials vary depending on local waves and weather conditions, creating different textures, colors, and layers.
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Article
37 sectionsContents
- Location and profile
- Formation
- Sand colors
- Erosion and accretion
- Natural erosion and accretion
- Causes
- Effects on flora
- Effects on adjacent land
- Humanmade erosion and accretion
- Destruction of flora
- Creation of beach access points
- Concentration of runoff
- Deprivation of runoff
- Inappropriate beach nourishment
- Use for recreation
- History
- Seaside resorts for the working class
- Expansion around the world
- Today
- Artificial beaches
- Restrictions on access
- Private beaches
- Public beaches
- Access design
- Concrete ramp or steps
- Corduroy (beach ladder)
- Fabric ramp
- Foliage ramp
- Gravel ramp
- Longest beaches
- Wildlife
- See also
- Gallery
- References
- Works cited
- Further reading
- External links
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae. Sediments settle in different densities and structures, depending on the local wave action and weather, creating different textures, colors and gradients or layers of material.
Though some beaches form on inland freshwater locations such as lakes and rivers, most beaches are in coastal areas where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments. Erosion and changing of beach geologies happens through natural processes, like wave action and extreme weather events. Where wind conditions are correct, beaches can be backed by coastal dunes which offer protection and regeneration for the beach. However, these natural forces have become more extreme due to climate change, permanently altering beaches at very rapid rates. Some estimates describe as much as 50 percent of the earth's sandy beaches disappearing by 2100 due to climate-change driven sea level rise.