Page 23 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book. To close the book, close the tab.

A
Eventually, the water cannot push forward any more. Some water sinks into the sand, while the rest starts to flow back down the beach. This part of the surf is called backwash.
Usually the swash of one wave crashes into the backwash of the wave before
it. You can see the way this happens in pictures 3 a–d.
The sand you cannot see
If you were to stand in the surf on a beach, you would see the surf, but your toes would feel the push and pull of the water, and the movement of sand. Breaking waves move some sand about, even on a calm day.
Fine weather, stormy weather
The pictures on this page were all taken
in fine weather, when the waves are small and bathing is safe. During a storm, the
wind blows more strongly, and the waves grow taller and crash more fiercely onto
the beach. At these times the swash and backwash are powerful enough to move huge amounts of sand backwards and forwards up the beach. On the next pages you will see how important this movement is.
F 3 In picture A, people are waiting for the next wave to run up the beach. A breaker has just formed. Notice that the backwash from the last wave is still flowing off the beach. It is shown to the right of the bathers. Notice, also, the wake around their feet.
In picture B, the new wave is breaking.
In picture C, the surf (swash) is pushing up the beach, mixing with the water still running back down the beach.
In picture D, the swash has gone as far up the beach as it can. At the same time, a new wave is breaking.
23
B
C
D
Do not go near the surf without a responsible adult in attendance.