In St Marie de la Mer we studied a range of beaches, investigating;
LSD
To measure the LSD you need: a ranging pole, a cork, a stopwatch and a tape measure.
- LSD
- Wave Height
- Wave Period
- Wave Length
- Length of Run-Up
- Depth of Swash
- Depth of Backwash
LSD
To measure the LSD you need: a ranging pole, a cork, a stopwatch and a tape measure.
- Place your ranging pole into the water (the centre of the run-up zone) to mark the starting position
- Drop a cork into the water beside the ranging pole and record your far it moves in 10 minutes
Beach Profiles
To measure the beach profile you will need: 2 ranging poles, a tape measure and a clinometer.
To measure the beach profile you will need: 2 ranging poles, a tape measure and a clinometer.
- Place a ranging pole in the swash zone, place your second at a certain point up the beach.
- Ensure the pole is placed in points which reflect the nature of the beach. Ensure you measure towards a set point.
- Using a clinometer, measure the gradient difference between the two placed poles. To do this record the difference between the 150 metre mark the clinometer is measuring from and the corresponding point on the other pole.
- Measure the distance between the two placed poles and then move your first pole further up the beach, and repeat steps 1-3.
Depth of Swash and Backwash
To measure the depth of the swash and backwash you will need a metre ruler.
Length of Run-Up
To measure the run-up you will need 2 ranging poles and a tape measure
Wave Period
To measure e wave period you'll need a stopwatch.
Wave Height
To measure wave height you will need a ranging pole and a metre rule.
The problems with our study:
Human error- not being random, selecting certain aspects effecting their liability of the data
The time of the year- we witnessed only how the aspects were at one point in the year
To measure the depth of the swash and backwash you will need a metre ruler.
- Find the centre of the run-up zone
- Hold the metre rule so the end is touching the sand.
- Record the height of the water during the swash and the backwash
Length of Run-Up
To measure the run-up you will need 2 ranging poles and a tape measure
- Place one ranging pole at the maximum point of the swash zone.
- Place your other ranging pole at the point before the wave breaks.
- Measure that distance between the two ranging poles
Wave Period
To measure e wave period you'll need a stopwatch.
- You need to set a time as to which you will investigate the period over.
- Start the stopwatch and count every wave that breaks in the each within your set time
Wave Height
To measure wave height you will need a ranging pole and a metre rule.
- Place the ranging pole into the water,beyond the breaking point of the waves
- Place the metre rule against the sea bed
- Measure the height of the wave crest and that of the wave trough
- Subtract the two readings and you will find your wave height
- Repeat several times and calculate the average
The problems with our study:
Human error- not being random, selecting certain aspects effecting their liability of the data
The time of the year- we witnessed only how the aspects were at one point in the year