5.1 - Waves in Action

Waves shape coastal landforms mainly through:

Which statement BEST describes a constructive wave?

The backward flow of water down the beach after a wave breaks is called:

Erosion is usually more powerful on high‑energy windward coasts because they are:

A destructive wave is MOST likely to:

Which Caribbean coast is MOST likely to experience the highest wave energy in normal conditions?

When wave energy decreases, the most likely result is:

A beach in Trinidad becomes wider after several days of gentle swell. Which wave condition BEST explains this change?

A student records 12 waves per minute at Bathsheba, Barbados, with a steep wave front. The waves are MOST likely:

Which statement BEST links swash, backwash and beach slope?

A wind blows steadily over the Atlantic for a long distance before reaching an island. This increased distance is called the:

Longshore drift is BEST described as:

Which coast is MOST likely to show deposition-dominated features such as wider sandy beaches?

A coastal engineer builds a groyne on a beach in Jamaica. What is the MOST likely immediate effect on sediment?

A hurricane increases wave height and energy along the north coast of Puerto Rico. Which change is MOST likely in the short term?

A beach receives 9 waves per minute with moderate swash and weak backwash. Two days later it receives 13 waves per minute with strong backwash. Which paired outcome is MOST likely?

A windward coastline has a 600 km fetch, while a sheltered leeward coast has a 60 km fetch. If other factors are similar, the windward coast is MOST likely to experience:

A beach is 900 m long. Over a few weeks, 15,000 m³ of sand shifts alongshore. What is the average volume shifted per metre of beach?

Which set of statements is correct? 1. High-energy coasts have stronger erosion. 2. Constructive waves usually have swash > backwash. 3. Destructive waves usually have lower frequency than constructive waves. 4. Waves can transport sediment alongshore.

A coastline faces the Atlantic and is exposed to steep plunging breakers for most of the year. Which coastal management choice is MOST appropriate to reduce beach loss caused by longshore drift?

A student claims: ‘Destructive waves always occur on windward coasts, and constructive waves only occur on leeward coasts.’ Which response is BEST?

Which of the following terms best defines a Fetch?