A beach is a narrow strip of land that lies along a body of water. It is covered in materials such as sand, pebbles, and seashell fragments. These materials are often formed by erosion, the process of wind and waves breaking down rocks and other objects on the shoreline. Beaches can also be lined with a variety of man-made materials, including plastic and debris from ships and cities.
The shape of a beach is always changing, both in length and depth, as waves erode the material on its surface. Erosion also exposes less resilient underlying rocks and soils to the action of winds and waves. This may lead to undermining of coastal headlands and burying or displacing sea grasses and other marine plants in the coastal shallows.
Many beaches are made of fine-grained sand, but the exact composition depends on location and conditions. Sands of temperate regions tend to consist of quartz with a few feldspars and other light minerals, while those of the tropics are largely composed of calcium carbonate, usually from the skeletal remains of coral reefs or tiny ocean animals that secrete the substance to build their shells. Beaches are also characterized by their water, which is typically salty from being mixed with the seawater that washes over the coast.
Plants with network root systems, such as coastal grasses and palm trees, play an important role in stabilizing beaches and foredunes by trapping sand particles and rainwater. In some areas, these species are adapted to salty environments, and they help to slow down the rate of inland movement of sand from the beach.
In some places, the sand of a beach is artificially augmented by what is called “beach nourishment.” This involves importing and depositing sand from other locations in an attempt to restore a damaged beach. This material can come from riverbeds and sand quarries, and it may have little in common with the sand naturally found at the beach.
People use beaches for recreation, such as sunbathing and swimming, or as a place to build houses, restaurants, and other structures. They are also the habitat of birds, sea turtles, and small animals that scavenge food from the beach. Beaches are also home to marine plants, which provide the food for sea creatures.
The first public beach in the United States opened at Revere Beach in Massachusetts in 1896. The practice of commercial sea bathing spread throughout the United States and Britain in the 19th century as rail links developed to coastal resorts. By the end of that period, Henry Flagler’s East Coast railway had linked Florida beaches to the northern United States and Canada. The era of fashionable and exclusive seaside resorts, such as Brighton in England and the Isle of Wight in Hampshire, consolidated a perception of the beach as a landscape of leisure and pleasure that was reinforced by the artistic idealization of picturesque landscapes that developed in Victorian times. The beach as a place for upper-class pleasure and frivolity is highlighted in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon, set on the Sussex coastline.