A beach is a landform along the edge of a body of water such as a lake or ocean. It consists of loose material such as sand, pebbles, shells, and sometimes rocks. Beaches are popular places for recreational activities such as swimming, sunbathing, and playing beach sports. Beaches change a lot over time due to erosion, deposition, and other natural processes.
The word “beach” comes from the Dutch noun “bosch,” which means mudflat or marsh. A beach is more than just a place to relax and play—it’s also home to a variety of animals and plants. From tiny hermit crabs scurrying in the sand to colorful fish swimming in the waves, beaches are teeming with life!
Beaches form through a process called weathering, which happens when the surface of rocks is worn away by wave action and sediments are eroded and transported. Waves can be very powerful and can dramatically affect the morphology of a beach in a short amount of time. The size of a beach is dependent on how much sediment is available upstream and the velocity and turbidity of water and wind.
Sediments found on beaches are fragments of rocks of all shapes and sizes. They may include clay, silt, sand, pebbles, cobbles, and boulders. In addition, organic matter such as humus and algae are often found in beach sediments. The most common beach material is sand, which varies in size from coarse grains to very fine sand. Beaches are also characterized by the presence of seaweed, a habitat for many marine species.
Coastal vegetation plays an important role in beach stabilization by slowing the rate of sand erosion. Plants with network-root systems such as dunes grasses, palms, and shrubs tend to resist erosion better than those without roots. Beachfront flora can also prevent erosion by trapping sand particles in their dense root structures or enveloping them in a thick layer of humus.
In addition to vegetation, human influences can affect the shape and size of a beach. For example, seawalls, which are structures built of rock, plastic, or concrete, can prevent sand and other beach materials from moving offshore. People can also combat beach erosion by planting seaweed or using beach nourishment.
The pristine beauty of some beaches has inspired many people to develop resorts and communities around them. In the 19th century, commercial sea bathing became popular in the United States and other parts of the world. Henry Flagler, for example, founded the Florida East Coast Railway to provide easy access to the pristine beaches of St. Augustine and Miami Beach for winter tourists traveling by train.