Aquascope

Facts


Sand beach

They are wonderful

Sand movement and erosion

People can also have problems when they build something on or close to beaches. The wind can move the sand and cause the sand dunes to start wandering, and with time engulf buildings and other man-made constructions. When such a situation is evident, plants are planted to try and stabilize the sand dunes and stop sand movement.
    Waves and currents also have the ability to erode and carry away beach material, so that constructions that were earlier situated far from the beach come closer and closer to the shoreline. When such a situation arises, such constructions run the risk of being undermined and destroyed. This type of erosion is difficult to stop.

Nice things can show up

Erosion together with land elevation (isostatic re-adjustment) can also have positive efftects - if you are interested in Marine organisms. Since the several kilometre thick ice caps from the last ice age melted (about 10 000 years ago), most of the Swedish coast, except for Skåne, is increasing in height above sea level. Because of this, it is possible to find shells, i.e. mussels, washed up onto the beach that were, many years ago, living in water that was several metres deep. Without land elevation and erosion we would seldom find the remains of certain deep bottom-living organisms on the shore.

Sand bottoms as living environments

The bottom-living environment is affected by several factors, amongst the most important are wave movement, particle size and the amount and type of decaying organic material.

Previous page

Page 4 of 15

Next page

Waves, bottoms and construction

Sand movement and erosion

Sand bottoms as living environments

The art of digging

Sandbeach organisms

Food web

Change and variation

Swedish beach life


Home    Contents    Inspiration    Facts    Collaboration   In Swedish
© Aquascope 2000   Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, Strömstad, Sweden
Bo Johannesson | Martin Larsvik | Lars-Ove Loo | Helena Samuelsson