Coastal animations

These animations are for use with the coasts module and all come from the Wycombe High School website.

Click here to see an animation showing the circular path of surface water as a wave passes. As the wave moves into shallow water, the wave length shortens and the wave height increases causing the wave to breaking.

Click here to see how waves with different energy levels can be either constructive or destructive, leading to beach construction or deconstruction.

Click here to see a demonstration of the process of longshore drift involving the swash and backwash of waves that break at an oblique angle in relation to the coastline.

Click here (School Members only) for a further animation demonstrating longshore drift (also known as littoral drift or beach drift).

Click here to see the formation of bay-mouth bars and spits as a consequence of longshore drift.

Click here for a stage, by stage animation about the formation of spits and salt marshes.

Click here to see a simulation of the processes of coastal erosion leading to caves, arches stacks and cliffs.

Click here to see how the dip of the bedding planes and the frequency of joints within the rock can control the angle and shape of the cliff profile.Click here (External Link) to find out how Lulworth Cove, on Dorset's Jurrasic Coast (External Link) has formed. Look out for the computer generated 3D animation.

Click here to see an animation that shows how desert sand dunes migrate under the influence of the wind. The processes also apply to coastal dunes where the surface vegetation has been damaged by trampling.

Click here to see spring and neap tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.