beach erosion
Coast wearing away
Beach erosion is the gradual wearing away of shoreline by waves, currents, tides, and storms.
Sand and sediment are carried off faster than natural processes can replace them.
Human activity—seawalls, jetties, dredging—often accelerates the problem by disrupting how sand moves along the coast.
Beach erosion has claimed several feet of coastline each year.
- wave actionMotion of ocean swells
- washing awayRemoving by water flow
- seawallsCoastal flood barriers
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- coastal developmentBuilding on shore areas
coastal communities · sand mining · storm surges · barrier islands · groynes · coastal bluffs · habitat loss · overwash · geotextiles · thermal expansion · tidal currents · high tide line · scarping · wind patterns · coastal flooding · dredging · tidal flats · breakwater
- coastal sciencesea level rise, coastal flooding, storm surge, coastal ecosystems, estuaries
- barrier islanddunes, tidal flats, salt marshes, seagrass beds, salt flats
- coastal floodingsea level rise, storm surge, king tide, king tides, high tide
- erosionwearing, wearing down, abrasion, corrosion, weathering
- geohazardslandslides, rockslide, mudslide, mudflow, subsidence
- land changeslandslides, earthquake, landslide, earthquakes, deforestation