Beach

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Beach (disambiguation).
"Sand beach" redirects here. For other uses, see Sand Beach
(disambiguation).
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks
sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help
to improve this article by introducing more precise
citations. (November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this
message)

Recreational beaches, such as this one in Fort

Lauderdale, Florida St Oswalds Bay, Dorset,

England. Wild sand and shingle beaches are shaped and maintained
naturally by wave actions.
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose
particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock,
such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such
as mollusc shells or coralline algae. Sediments settle in different densities
and structures, depending on the local wave action and weather, creating
different textures, colors and gradients or layers of material.

Though some beaches form on inland freshwater locations such

as lakes and rivers, most beaches are in coastal areas
where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments. Erosion and
changing of beach geologies happens through natural processes, like wave
action and extreme weather events. Where wind conditions are correct,
beaches can be backed by coastal dunes which offer protection and
regeneration for the beach. However, these natural forces have become
more extreme due to climate change, permanently altering beaches at very
rapid rates. Some estimates describe as much as 50 percent of the earth's
sandy beaches disappearing by 2100 due to climate-change driven sea
level rise.[1]

Sandy beaches occupy about one third of global coastlines.[1] These

beaches are popular for recreation, playing important economic and
cultural roles—often driving local tourism industries. To support these uses,
some beaches have human-made infrastructure, such
as lifeguard posts, changing rooms, showers, shacks and bars. They may
also have hospitality venues (such as resorts, camps, hotels, and
restaurants) nearby or housing, both for permanent and seasonal
residents.

Human forces have significantly changed beaches globally: direct impacts

include bad construction practices on dunes and coastlines, while indirect
human impacts include water pollution, plastic pollution and coastal
erosion from sea level rise and climate change. Some coastal
management practices are designed to preserve or restore natural beach
processes, while some beaches are actively restored through practices
like beach nourishment.

Marine debris on a beach in Hawaii.

Wild beaches, also known as undeveloped or undiscovered beaches, are
not developed for tourism or recreation. Preserved beaches are important
biomes with important roles in aquatic or marine biodiversity, such as for
breeding grounds for sea turtles or nesting areas for seabirds or penguins.
Preserved beaches and their associated dune are important for protection
from extreme weather for inland ecosystems and human infrastructure.[1]

Location and profile

A berm is a
nearly horizontal portion that stays dry except during extremely high
tides and storms. The swash zone is alternately covered and exposed by
wave run-up. The beach face is the sloping section below the berm that is
exposed to the swash of the waves. The wrack line (not shown here) is the
highest reach of the daily tide where organic and inorganic debris is
deposited by wave action. May have sand dunes.[2]
Although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach,
beaches are also found by lakes and alongside large rivers.

Beach may refer to:

 small systems where rock material moves onshore, offshore, or

alongshore by the forces of waves and currents; or
 geological units of considerable size.
The former are described in detail below; the larger geological units are
discussed elsewhere under bars.

There are several conspicuous parts to a beach that relate to the

processes that form and shape it. The part mostly above water (depending
upon tide), and more or less actively influenced by the waves at some point
in the tide, is termed the beach berm. The berm is the deposit of material
comprising the active shoreline. The berm has a crest (top) and a face—the
latter being the slope leading down towards the water from the crest. At the
very bottom of the face, there may be a trough, and further seaward one or
more long shore bars: slightly raised, underwater embankments formed
where the waves first start to break.

The sand deposit may extend well inland from the berm crest, where there
may be evidence of one or more older crests (the storm beach) resulting
from very large storm waves and beyond the influence of the normal
waves. At some point the influence of the waves (even storm waves) on the
material comprising the beach stops, and if the particles are small enough
(sand size or smaller), winds shape the feature. Where wind is the force
distributing the grains inland, the deposit behind the beach becomes
a dune.

The differences between

summer and winter on beaches in areas where the winter conditions are
rougher and waves have a shorter wavelength but higher energy. In winter,
sand from the beach is stored offshore.[2]
These geomorphic features compose what is called the beach profile. The
beach profile changes seasonally due to the change in wave energy
experienced during summer and winter months. In temperate areas where
summer is characterised by calmer seas and longer periods between
breaking wave crests, the beach profile is higher in summer. The gentle
wave action during this season tends to transport sediment up the beach
towards the berm where it is deposited and remains while the water
recedes. Onshore winds carry it further inland forming and enhancing
dunes.

Conversely, the beach profile is lower in the storm season (winter in

temperate areas) due to the increased wave energy, and the shorter
periods between breaking wave crests. Higher energy waves breaking in
quick succession tend to mobilise sediment from the shallows, keeping it in
suspension where it is prone to be carried along the beach by longshore
currents, or carried out to sea to form longshore bars, especially if the
longshore current meets an outflow from a river or flooding stream. The
removal of sediment from the beach berm and dune thus decreases the
beach profile.

If storms coincide with unusually high tides, or with a freak wave event
such as a tidal surge or tsunami which causes significant coastal flooding,
substantial quantities of material may be eroded from the coastal plain or
dunes behind the berm by receding water. This flow may alter the shape of
the coastline, enlarge the mouths of rivers and create new deltas at the
mouths of streams that had not been powerful enough to overcome
longshore movement of sediment.

The line between beach and dune is difficult to define in the field. Over any
significant period of time, sediment is always being exchanged between
them. The drift line (the high point of material deposited by waves) is one
potential demarcation. This would be the point at which significant wind
movement of sand could occur, since the normal waves do not wet the
sand beyond this area. However, the drift line is likely to move inland under
assault by storm waves.[3]

Formation
See also: Beach evolution

Quartz sand particles and shell fragments from a

beach. The primary component of typical beach sand is quartz,

or silica (SiO2). Sand and shingle is

scoured, graded and moved around by the action of waves and currents

Beach formed on a wild, untamed rocky

coastline
Beaches are the result of wave action by
which waves or currents move sand or other loose sediments of which the
beach is made as these particles are held in suspension. Alternatively,
sand may be moved by saltation (a bouncing movement of large particles).
Beach materials come from erosion of rocks offshore, as well as from
headland erosion and slumping producing deposits of scree. A coral
reef offshore is a significant source of sand particles. Some species of fish
that feed on algae attached to coral outcrops and rocks can create
substantial quantities of sand particles over their lifetime as they nibble
during feeding, digesting the organic matter, and discarding the rock and
coral particles which pass through their digestive tracts.

The composition of the beach depends upon the nature and quantity
of sediments upstream of the beach, and the speed of flow and turbidity of
water and wind. Sediments are moved by moving water and wind
according to their particle size and state of compaction. Particles tend to
settle and compact in still water. Once compacted, they are more resistant
to erosion. Established vegetation (especially species with complex
network root systems) will resist erosion by slowing the fluid flow at the
surface layer. When affected by moving water or wind, particles that are
eroded and held in suspension will increase the erosive power of the fluid
that holds them by increasing the average density, viscosity, and volume of
the moving fluid.

Coastlines facing very energetic wind and wave systems will tend to hold
only large rocks as smaller particles will be held in suspension in the turbid
water column and carried to calmer areas by longshore currents and tides.
Coastlines that are protected from waves and winds will tend to allow finer
sediments such as clay and mud to precipitate creating mud
flats and mangrove forests. The shape of a beach depends on whether the
waves are constructive or destructive, and whether the material is sand or
shingle. Waves are constructive if the period between their wave crests is
long enough for the breaking water to recede and the sediment to settle
before the succeeding wave arrives and breaks.

Fine sediment transported from lower down the beach profile will compact if
the receding water percolates or soaks into the beach. Compacted
sediment is more resistant to movement by turbulent water from
succeeding waves. Conversely, waves are destructive if the period
between the wave crests is short. Sediment that remains in suspension
when the following wave crest arrives will not be able to settle and compact
and will be more susceptible to erosion by longshore currents and receding
tides. The nature of sediments found on a beach tends to indicate the
energy of the waves and wind in the locality.

Constructive waves move material up the beach while destructive waves

move the material down the beach. During seasons when destructive
waves are prevalent, the shallows will carry an increased load of sediment
and organic matter in suspension. On sandy beaches, the turbulent
backwash of destructive waves removes material forming a gently sloping
beach. On pebble and shingle beaches the swash is dissipated more
quickly because the large particle size allows greater percolation, thereby
reducing the power of the backwash, and the beach remains steep.
Compacted fine sediments will form a smooth beach surface that resists
wind and water erosion.

During hot calm seasons, a crust may form on the surface of ocean
beaches as the heat of the sun evaporates the water leaving the salt
which crystallises around the sand particles. This crust forms an additional
protective layer that resists wind erosion unless disturbed by animals or
dissolved by the advancing tide. Cusps and horns form where incoming
waves divide, depositing sand as horns and scouring out sand to form
cusps. This forms the uneven face on some sand shorelines. White sand
beaches look white because the quartz or eroded limestone in the sand
reflects or scatters sunlight without absorbing other colors.
Sand colors
 Depiction of sands:
glass, dune, quartz
volcanic, biogenic coral, pink coral
volcanic, garnet, olivine
The composition of the sand varies depending on the local minerals and
geology.[4] Some of the types of sand found in beaches around the world
are:

 White sand: Mostly made of quartz and limestone, it can also contain
other minerals like feldspar and gypsum .[4][5]
 Light-colored sand: This sand gets its color from quartz and iron,[4] and is
the most common sand color in Southern Europe[6] and other regions of
the Mediterranean Basin, such as Tunisia.[4]
 Tropical white sand: On tropical islands, the sand is composed
of calcium carbonate from the shells and skeletons of marine
organisms, like corals and mollusks, as found in Aruba.[4]
 Pink coral sand: Like the above, is composed of calcium carbonate and
gets its pink hue from fragments of coral, such as in Bermuda and
the Bahama Islands.[4]
 Black sand: Black sand is composed of volcanic rock,
like basalt and obsidian, which give it its gray-black color.
[4]
Hawaii's Punaluu Beach, Madeira's Praia
Formosa and Fuerteventura's Ajuy beach are examples of this type of
sand.[4]
 Red sand: This kind of sand is created by the oxidation of iron from
volcanic rocks.[5] Santorini's Kokkini Beach or the beaches on Prince
Edward Island in Canada are examples of this kind of sand.[5]
 Orange sand: Orange sand is high on iron. It can also me a combination
of orange limestone, crushed shells, and volcanic deposits.[5] Ramla
 Bay in Gozo, Malta or Porto Ferro in Sardinia are examples of each,
respectively.[4]
 Green sand: In this kind of sand, the mineral olivine has been separated
from other volcanic fragments by erosive forces.[4] A famous example is
Hawaii's Papakolea Beach, which has sand containing basalt and coral
fragments.[4] Olivine beaches have high potential for carbon
sequestration, and artificial greensand beaches are being explored for
this process by Project Vesta.[7]
Types of beach sand


Fine, white sand made up of pure quartz in Hyams Beach, New South Wales,
Australia.

Yellow-colored sand in Castelldefels beach, Spain.

 

One of Bermuda's pink-sand beaches at Astwood Park.

Ajuy's beach black sand.

Red sand from Santorini's Kokkini beach.

 

Orange sand from Ramla Bay, Malta

Close view of Papakolea Beach's green sand.

Grey sand at Carters Beach, New Zealand

Erosion and accretion
Natural erosion and accretion
 A sandspit can form if a beach suddenly

changes direction. Hidden beach in

southern Croatia Playing in the surf is a popular

recreational activity. Beach in the Galápagos

Islands reserved for marine animals Anse Source

d'Argent, La Digue, Seychelles Maldives dream
beaches
Causes
Beaches are changed in shape chiefly by the movement of water and wind.
Any weather event that is associated with turbid or fast-flowing water or
high winds will erode exposed beaches. Longshore currents will tend to
replenish beach sediments and repair storm damage. Tidal waterways
generally change the shape of their adjacent beaches by small degrees
with every tidal cycle. Over time these changes can become substantial
leading to significant changes in the size and location of the beach.
Effects on flora
Changes in the shape of the beach may undermine the roots of large trees
and other flora. Many beach adapted species (such as coconut palms)
have a fine root system and large root ball which tends to withstand wave
and wind action and tends to stabilize beaches better than other trees with
a lesser root ball.
Effects on adjacent land
Erosion of beaches can expose less resilient soils and rocks to wind and
wave action leading to undermining of coastal headlands eventually
resulting in catastrophic collapse of large quantities of overburden into the
shallows. This material may be distributed along the beach front leading to
a change in the habitat as sea grasses and corals in the shallows may be
buried or deprived of light and nutrients.
Humanmade erosion and accretion
Coastal areas settled by man inevitably become subject to the effects of
human-made structures and processes. Over long periods of time, these
influences may substantially alter the shape of the coastline, and the
character of the beach.
Destruction of flora
Beachfront flora plays a major role in stabilizing the foredunes and
preventing beach head erosion and inland movement of dunes. If flora with
network root systems (creepers, grasses, and palms) are able to become
established, they provide an effective coastal defense as they trap sand
particles and rainwater and enrich the surface layer of the dunes, allowing
other plant species to become established. They also protect the berm from
erosion by high winds, freak waves and subsiding floodwaters.

Over long periods of time, well-stabilized foreshore areas will tend to

accrete, while unstabilized foreshores will tend to erode, leading to
substantial changes in the shape of the coastline. These changes usually
occur over periods of many years. Freak wave events such as tsunami,
tidal waves, and storm surges may substantially alter the shape, profile and
location of a beach within hours.

Destruction of flora on the berm by the use of herbicides, excessive

pedestrian or vehicle traffic, or disruption to freshwater flows may lead to
erosion of the berm and dunes. While the destruction of flora may be a
gradual process that is imperceptible to regular beach users, it often
becomes immediately apparent after storms associated with high winds
and freak wave events that can rapidly move large volumes of exposed and
unstable sand, depositing them further inland, or carrying them out into the
permanent water forming offshore bars, lagoons or increasing the area of
the beach exposed at low tide. Large and rapid movements of exposed
sand can bury and smother flora in adjacent areas, aggravating the loss of
habitat for fauna, and enlarging the area of instability. If there is an
adequate supply of sand, and weather conditions do not allow vegetation to
recover and stabilize the sediment, wind-blown sand can continue to
advance, engulfing and permanently altering downwind landscapes.

Sediment moved by waves or receding floodwaters can be deposited in

coastal shallows, engulfing reed beds and changing the character of
underwater flora and fauna in the coastal shallows.

Burning or clearance of vegetation on the land adjacent to the beach head,

for farming and residential development, changes the surface wind
patterns, and exposes the surface of the beach to wind erosion.

Farming and residential development are also commonly associated with

changes in local surface water flows. If these flows are concentrated in
stormwater drains emptying onto the beach head, they may erode the
beach creating a lagoon or delta.
Dense vegetation tends to absorb rainfall reducing the speed of runoff and
releasing it over longer periods of time. Destruction by burning or clearance
of the natural vegetation tends to increase the speed and erosive power of
runoff from rainfall. This runoff will tend to carry more silt and organic
matter from the land onto the beach and into the sea. If the flow is constant,
runoff from cleared land arriving at the beach head will tend to deposit this
material into the sand changing its color, odor and fauna.
Creation of beach access points
The concentration of pedestrian and vehicular traffic accessing the beach
for recreational purposes may cause increased erosion at the access
points if measures are not taken to stabilize the beach surface above high-
water mark. Recognition of the dangers of loss of beach front flora has
caused many local authorities responsible for managing coastal areas to
restrict beach access points by physical structures or legal sanctions, and
fence off foredunes in an effort to protect the flora. These measures are
often associated with the construction of structures at these access points
to allow traffic to pass over or through the dunes without causing further
damage.
Concentration of runoff
Beaches provide a filter for runoff from the coastal plain. If the runoff is
naturally dispersed along the beach, water borne silt and organic matter will
be retained on the land and will feed the flora in the coastal area. Runoff
that is dispersed along the beach will tend to percolate through the beach
and may emerge from the beach at low tide.

The retention of the freshwater may also help to maintain underground

water reserves and will resist salt water incursion. If the surface flow of the
runoff is diverted and concentrated by drains that create constant flows
over the beach above the sea or river level, the beach will be eroded and
ultimately form an inlet unless longshore flows deposit sediments to repair
the breach.

Once eroded, an inlet may allow tidal inflows of salt water to pollute areas
inland from the beach and may also affect the quality of underground water
supplies and the height of the water table.
Deprivation of runoff
Some flora naturally occurring on the beach head requires freshwater
runoff from the land. Diversion of freshwater runoff into drains may deprive
these plants of their water supplies and allow sea water incursion,
increasing the saltiness of the groundwater. Species that are not able to
survive in salt water may die and be replaced by mangroves or other
species adapted to salty environments.
Inappropriate beach nourishment
Beach nourishment is the importing and deposition of sand or other
sediments in an effort to restore a beach that has been damaged by
erosion. Beach nourishment often involves excavation of sediments from
riverbeds or sand quarries. This excavated sediment may be substantially
different in size and appearance to the naturally occurring beach sand.

In extreme cases, beach nourishment may involve placement of large

pebbles or rocks in an effort to permanently restore a shoreline subject to
constant erosion and loss of foreshore. This is often required where the
flow of new sediment caused by the longshore current has been disrupted
by construction of harbors, breakwaters, causeways or boat ramps,
creating new current flows that scour the sand from behind these structures
and deprive the beach of restorative sediments. If the causes of the erosion
are not addressed, beach nourishment can become a necessary and
permanent feature of beach maintenance.

During beach nourishment activities, care must be taken to place new

sediments so that the new sediments compact and stabilize before
aggressive wave or wind action can erode them. Material that is
concentrated too far down the beach may form a temporary groyne that will
encourage scouring behind it. Sediments that are too fine or too light may
be eroded before they have compacted or been integrated into the
established vegetation. Foreign unwashed sediments may introduce flora
or fauna that are not usually found in that locality.

Brighton Beach, on the south coast of England, is a shingle beach that has
been nourished with very large pebbles in an effort to withstand the erosion
of the upper area of the beach. These large pebbles made the beach
unwelcoming for pedestrians for a period of time until natural processes
integrated the naturally occurring shingle into the pebble base.

Use for recreation

History

A popular Victorian seaside resort. Llandudno,

1856
Even in Roman times, wealthy people spent their free time on the coast.
They also built large villa complexes with bathing facilities (so-called
maritime villas) in particularly beautiful locations. Excavations of Roman
architecture can still be found today, for example on the Amalfi Coast near
Naples and in Barcola in Trieste.[8]

The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-
19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist
industry. The first seaside resorts were opened in the 18th century for the
aristocracy, who began to frequent the seaside as well as the then
fashionable spa towns, for recreation and health.[9] One of the earliest such
seaside resorts, was Scarborough in Yorkshire during the 1720s; it had
been a fashionable spa town since a stream of acidic water was discovered
running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town in the 17th century.
[9]
The first rolling bathing machines were introduced by 1735.

Brighton, The Front and the Chain Pier Seen in

the Distance, early 19th century
The opening of the resort in Brighton and its reception of royal
patronage from King George IV, extended the seaside as a resort for health
and pleasure to the much larger London market, and the beach became a
centre for upper-class pleasure and frivolity. This trend was praised and
artistically elevated by the new romantic ideal of the picturesque
landscape; Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon is an example of that.
Later, Queen Victoria's long-standing patronage of the Isle of
Wight and Ramsgate in Kent ensured that a seaside residence was
considered as a highly fashionable possession for those wealthy enough to
afford more than one home.
Seaside resorts for the working class

Blackpool Promenade c. 1898

The extension of this form of leisure to the middle and working classes
began with the development of the railways in the 1840s, which offered
cheap fares to fast-growing resort towns. In particular, the completion of
a branch line to the small seaside town of Blackpool from Poulton led to a
sustained economic and demographic boom. A sudden influx of visitors,
arriving by rail, led entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new
attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout
the 1850s and 1860s.[10]

The growth was intensified by the practice among the Lancashire cotton
mill owners of closing the factories for a week every year to service and
repair machinery. These became known as wakes weeks. Each town's
mills would close for a different week, allowing Blackpool to manage a
steady and reliable stream of visitors over a prolonged period in the
summer. A prominent feature of the resort was the promenade and
the pleasure piers, where an eclectic variety of performances vied for the
people's attention. In 1863, the North Pier in Blackpool was completed,
rapidly becoming a centre of attraction for upper class visitors. Central
Pier was completed in 1868, with a theatre and a large open-air dance
floor.[11]

Many of the popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines,
because even the all-covering beachwear of the period was considered
immodest. By the end of the century the English coastline had over 100
large resort towns, some with populations exceeding 50,000.[12]
Expansion around the world
 Seaside facade at Monte Carlo, 1870s
The development of the seaside resort abroad was stimulated by the well-
developed English love of the beach. The French Riviera alongside
the Mediterranean had already become a popular destination for the British
upper class by the end of the 18th century. In 1864, the first railway
to Nice was completed, making the Riviera accessible to visitors from all
over Europe. By 1874, residents of foreign enclaves in Nice, most of whom
were British, numbered 25,000. The coastline became renowned for
attracting the royalty of Europe, including Queen Victoria and King Edward
VII.[13]

Continental European attitudes towards gambling and nakedness tended to

be more lax than in Britain, so British and French entrepreneurs were quick
to exploit the possibilities. In 1863, Charles III, Prince of Monaco,
and François Blanc, a French businessman, arranged for steamships and
carriages to take visitors from Nice to Monaco, where large luxury hotels,
gardens and casinos were built. The place was renamed[citation needed] Monte
Carlo.

Commercial sea bathing spread to the United States and parts of

the British Empire by the end of the 19th century. The first public beach in
the United States was Revere Beach, which opened in 1896. During that
same time, Henry Flagler developed the Florida East Coast Railway, which
linked the coastal sea resorts developing at St. Augustine, FL and Miami
Beach, FL, to winter travelers from the northern United
States and Canada on the East Coast Railway. By the early 20th century
surfing was developed in Hawaii and Australia; it spread to southern
California by the early 1960s. By the 1970s cheap and affordable air travel
led to the growth of a truly global tourism market which benefited areas
such as the Mediterranean, Australia, South Africa, and the coastal Sun
Belt regions of the United States.
Today
 Summer

Joaquín Sorolla (1904) Tourists at the

Mediterranean Sea beach of Barcelona, 2007

Bondi Beach, a popular beach area in Sydney, Australia.

Pärnu, the summer capital of Estonia, is

especially known for its sand beaches by the Baltic Sea, making it one of
the most popular travel destinations.[14][15]
Beaches can be popular on warm sunny days. In the Victorian era, many
popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines because even
the all-covering beachwear of the period was considered immodest.[16] This
social standard still prevails in many Muslim countries. At the other end of
the spectrum are topfree beaches and nude beaches where clothing is
optional or not allowed. In most countries social norms are significantly
different on a beach in hot weather, compared to adjacent areas where
similar behavior might not be tolerated and might even be prosecuted.
[clarification needed]

In more than thirty countries in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand,

Canada, Costa Rica, South America and the Caribbean, the best
recreational beaches are awarded Blue Flag status, based on such criteria
as water quality and safety provision. Subsequent loss of this status can
have a severe effect on tourism revenues.

Beaches are often dumping grounds for waste and litter, necessitating the
use of beach cleaners and other cleanup projects. More significantly, many
beaches are a discharge zone for untreated sewage in
most underdeveloped countries; even in developed countries beach
closure is an occasional circumstance due to sanitary sewer overflow. In
these cases of marine discharge, waterborne disease
from fecal pathogens and contamination of certain marine species are a
frequent outcome.
Artificial beaches
Some beaches are artificial; they are either permanent or temporary (For
examples, see Copenhagen, Hong
Kong, Manila, Monaco, Nottingham, Paris, Rotterdam, Singapore, Tianjin,
and Toronto).

The soothing qualities of a beach and the pleasant environment offered to

the beachgoer are replicated in artificial beaches, such as "beach style"
pools with zero-depth entry and wave pools that recreate the natural waves
pounding upon a beach. In a zero-depth entry pool, the bottom surface
slopes gradually from above water down to depth. Another approach
involves so-called urban beaches, a form of public park becoming common
in large cities. Urban beaches attempt to mimic natural beaches with
fountains that imitate surf and mask city noises, and in some cases can be
used as a play park.

Beach nourishment involves pumping sand onto beaches to improve their

health. Beach nourishment is common for major beach cities around the
world; however the beaches that have been nourished can still appear
quite natural and often many visitors are unaware of the works undertaken
to support the health of the beach. Such beaches are often not recognized
by consumers as artificial. A famous example of beach nourishment came
with the replenishment of Waikīkī Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, where sand
from Manhattan Beach, California was transported via ship and barge
throughout most of the 20th century in order to combat Waikiki's erosion
problems. The Surfrider Foundation has debated the merits of artificial
reefs with members torn between their desire to support natural coastal
environments and opportunities to enhance the quality of surfing waves.
Similar debates surround beach nourishment and snow cannon in sensitive
environments.
Restrictions on access
Further information: Freedom to roam
Public access to beaches is restricted in some parts of the world.[17][18] For
example, most beaches on the Jersey Shore are restricted to people who
can purchase beach tags.[19] Many beaches in Indonesia, both private and
public, require admission fees.[20] Some beaches also restrict dogs for some
periods of the year.[21]
Private beaches
Main article: Intertidal zone § Legal issues
Some jurisdiction make all beaches public by law. Some allow private
ownership (for example by owners of abutting land or neighborhood
associations) to the mean high tide line or mean low tide line. In some
jurisdictions, the public has a general easement to use privately-owned
beach land for certain purposes. Signs are sometimes posted where public
access ends.

In some places, such as Florida, it is not always clear which parts of a

beach are public or private.[22]
Public beaches
The first public beach in the United States opened on 12 July 1896, in the
town of Revere, Massachusetts, with over 45,000 people attending on the
opening day. The beach was run bay the Metropolitan Parks
Commission and the new beach had a bandstand, public bathhouses,
shade pavilions, and lined by a broad boulevard that ran along the beach.[23]

Public access to beaches is protected by law in the U.S. state of Oregon,

thanks to a 1967 state law, the Oregon Beach Bill, which guaranteed public
access from the Columbia River to the California state line, "so that the
public may have the free and uninterrupted use".[24] Public access to
beaches in Hawaii (other than those owned by the U.S. federal
government) is also protected by state law.[25]

Access design

A beach access path in Key West, Florida

The entrance of the Romance Beach in Medan,

using Sakura and spring-like decor, evoking a romantic sense as its name
suggests.
Beach access is an important consideration where substantial numbers of
pedestrians or vehicles require access to the beach. Allowing random
access across delicate foredunes is seldom considered good practice as it
is likely to lead to destruction of flora and consequent erosion of the fore
dunes.

A well-designed beach access should:

 provide a durable surface able to withstand the traffic flow;

 aesthetically complement the surrounding structures and natural
landforms;
 be located in an area that is convenient for users and consistent with
safe traffic flows;
 be scaled to match the traffic flow (i.e. wide and strong enough to safely
carry the size and quantity of pedestrians and vehicles intended to use
it);
 be maintained appropriately; and
 be signed and lit to discourage beach users from creating their own
alternative crossings that may be more destructive to the beachhead.
Concrete ramp or steps
A concrete ramp should follow the natural profile of the beach to prevent it
from changing the normal flow of waves, longshore currents, water and
wind. A ramp that is below the beach profile will tend to become buried and
cease to provide a good surface for vehicular traffic. A ramp or stair that
protrudes above the beach profile will tend to disrupt longshore currents
creating deposits in front of the ramp, and scouring behind. Concrete
ramps are the most expensive vehicular beach accesses to construct
requiring use of a quick-drying concrete or a cofferdam to protect them
from tidal water during the concrete curing process. Concrete is favored
where traffic flows are heavy and access is required by vehicles that are
not adapted to soft sand (e.g. road registered passenger vehicles and boat
trailers). Concrete stairs are commonly favored on beaches adjacent to
population centers where beach users may arrive on the beach in street
shoes, or where the foreshore roadway is substantially higher than the
beach head and a ramp would be too steep for safe use by pedestrians. A
composite stair ramp may incorporate a central or side stair with one or
more ramps allowing pedestrians to lead buggies or small boat dollies onto
the beach without the aid of a powered vehicle or winch. Concrete ramps
and steps should be maintained to prevent a buildup of moss or algae that
may make their wet surfaces slippery and dangerous to pedestrians and
vehicles.
Corduroy (beach ladder)
A corduroy road or beach ladder (or board and chain) is an array of planks
(usually hardwood or treated timber) laid close together and perpendicular
to the direction of traffic flow, and secured at each end by a chain or cable
to form a pathway or ramp over the sand dune. Corduroys are cheap and
easy to construct and quick to deploy or relocate. They are commonly used
for pedestrian access paths and light duty vehicular access ways. They
naturally conform to the shape of the underlying beach or dune profile, and
adjust well to moderate erosion, especially longshore drift. However, they
can cease to be an effective access surface if they become buried or
undermined by erosion by surface runoff coming from the beach head. If
the corduroy is not wide enough for vehicles using it, the sediment on either
side may be displaced creating a spoon drain that accelerates surface
runoff and can quickly lead to serious erosion. Significant erosion of the
sediment beside and under the corduroy can render it completely
ineffective and make it dangerous to pedestrian users who may fall
between the planks.
Fabric ramp
Fabric ramps are commonly employed by the military for temporary
purposes where the underlying sediment is stable and hard enough to
support the weight of the traffic. A sheet of porous fabric is laid over the
sand to stabilize the surface and prevent vehicles from bogging. Fabric
Ramps usually cease to be useful after one tidal cycle as they are easily
washed away, or buried in sediment.
Foliage ramp
A foliage ramp is formed by planting resilient species of hardy plants such
as grasses over a well-formed sediment ramp. The plants may be
supported while they become established by placement of layers of mesh,
netting, or coarse organic material such as vines or branches. This type of
ramp is ideally suited for intermittent use by vehicles with a low wheel
loading such as dune buggies or agricultural vehicles with large tyres. A
foliage ramp should require minimal maintenance if initially formed to follow
the beach profile, and not overused.
Gravel ramp
A gravel ramp is formed by excavating the underlying loose sediment and
filling the excavation with layers of gravel of graduated sizes as defined
by John Loudon McAdam. The gravel is compacted to form a solid surface
according to the needs of the traffic. Gravel ramps are less expensive to
construct than concrete ramps and are able to carry heavy road traffic
provided the excavation is deep enough to reach solid subsoil. Gravel
ramps are subject to erosion by water. If the edges are retained with
boards or walls and the profile matches the surrounding beach profile, a
gravel ramp may become more stable as finer sediments are deposited by
percolating water.

Longest beaches
Amongst the world's longest beaches are:

 Eighty Mile Beach (220 kilometres [140 mi]) in north-west Australia;

 Praia do Cassino (212 kilometres [132 mi]) in Brazil;
 Padre Island beach (about 182 kilometres [113 mi]) in Gulf of Mexico,
Texas.
 Ninety Mile Beach, Victoria (151 kilometres [94 mi]) in Victoria,
Australia;
 Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (150 kilometres [93 mi] unbroken);
 Naikoon Provincial Park (100 kilometres [62 mi]) in the north-east of
Haida Gwaii, Canada;
 Playa Novillera beach (about 90 kilometres [56 mi]) in Mexico.
 90 Mile Beach in New Zealand (88 kilometres [55 mi]);
 Fraser Island beach (about 65 kilometres [40 mi]) in Queensland,
Australia;
 Troia-Sines Beach (63 kilometres [39 mi]) in Portugal;
 the Jersey Shore, 204 km/127 miles; and
 Long Beach, Washington (which is about 40 kilometres [25 mi]).
Wildlife

A Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting on the berm

section of the beach; beyond can be seen plant debris in the wrack line.
Main article: Seashore wildlife
A beach is an unstable environment that exposes plants and animals to
changeable and potentially harsh conditions. Some animals burrow into the
sand and feed on material deposited by the waves. Crabs, insects
and shorebirds feed on these beach dwellers. The endangered piping
plover and some tern species rely on beaches for nesting. Sea turtles also
bury their eggs in ocean beaches. Seagrasses and other beach plants
grow on undisturbed areas of the beach and dunes.

Ocean beaches are habitats with organisms adapted to salt spray, tidal
overwash, and shifting sands. Some of these organisms are found only on
beaches. Examples of these beach organisms in the southeast US include
plants like sea oats, sea rocket, beach elder, beach morning glory
(Ipomoea pes-caprae), and beach peanut, and animals such as mole crabs
(Hippoidea), coquina clams (Donax), ghost crabs, and white beach tiger
beetles.[3]