Why is the beach referred to as a “river of sand”?

This 20-minute video was created at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego in 1965. You could consider this film a classic and remains to be a great explanation of the beach processes. While watching the video, respond to the questions below.

QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions. Submit a MS Word document or *.pdf file with your responses to the assignment dropbox. All answers should be in your own words (do not copy and paste definitions). Answer each question in at least one complete sentence; some answers may require more explanation than others. Each question is worth 1 point.

1. Why is the beach referred to as a “river of sand”?
2. What are some of the types of sediments that make up beaches around the world?
3. What are the two main minerals that make up the sand on a sandy beach in California?
4. What sized sediments (e.g. boulders, gravel, sand, clay, silt, and mud) abundantly transported by rivers and streams typically accumulate on the beach?
5. What sized sediments transported by rivers, streams, and waves are typically carried out to sea?
6. What two scientific questions guide our study of beaches?
7. What causes solid rock to break down into smaller particles?
8. How does the rock debris get to the ocean?
9. What happens to the rock debris along the way from the mountains to the ocean?
10. What happens to sand castles built below the high tide line?
11. What happens to sand grains when a wave washes up on a beach?
12. Define the term ‘beach face.’
13. Define the term ‘surf zone.’
14. How does the beach face change from winter to summer?
15. What is one possible reason why the beach face changes from winter to summer?
16. What is the effect of small summer (low-energy) waves on the beach face?
17. What is the effect of large winter (high-energy) waves on the beach face?
18. How does the beach profile in winter differ from a beach profile in summer?
19. What are sand bars?
20. What do red markers along the shore indicate about the motions of sand along the beach face?
21. What does dye indicate about the motions of water inside the breaking waves and outside the breaking waves?
22. What is the name of the current caused by waves striking the beach at an angle?