Do Now

1. What is the longest river in the UK?

Severn
2. Name two rivers in Scotland
Tay, Spey, Tweed
3. Name a mountain range nicknamed “The Spine of England”
The Pennines
4. Name the highest mountain peak in Wales?
Mt. Snowdon, Snowdonia
5. Which mountain range is Ben Nevis located in ?
Grampian Mountains - Scotland
6. Name 2 areas of lowland in the UK?
The Fens, Norfolk Broads, The Wash, London
7. What’s another mountain range in Wales called?
Cambrian Mountains
8. What river flows into the Wash?
The Great Ouse
 25/11/2023
Wave types and their characteristics
Lesson objective: To understand different types and characteristics of waves

Learning Outcomes:
Identify the different characteristics of destructive and constructive waves
What causes waves?
99% of waves
are caused by
the wind
blowing across
the surface of
the water

The other 1% are

caused by factors such
as earthquakes and
shipping
 What causes waves?
If you blow across a bowl of hot soup – ripples will form. The
same process forms waves in the sea. When wind blows
across the sea, friction between the wind and water surface
causes ripples, which are the beginning of waves.
What does the wave size depend on?
• The strength of the wind.
• The time the wind blows
for.
• The length of the water the
wind blows over (distance)
is called the fetch.
 What happens when waves reach the coast?

wind
Waves are formed by the _________blowing over the sea. Friction with the surface
ripples to form and these develop into waves. The distance
of the water causes ________
fetch
the wind blows across the water is called the _________. The longer this is, the more
powerful the wave.
________

Waves have a naturally circular motion in open water. When they approach the
coast the water becomes shallower
___________, causing the wave’s circular motion to come
into contact with the seabed
____________. The friction generated here distorts the
circular
___________motion by causing the crest of the wave to rise up.
powerful circular seabed

fetch wind shallower ripples

 Swash Vs Backwash
• Swash – movement of • Backwash – movement of
water up the beach water down the beach

Happens when the wave breaks: water Happens after the swash, when the water is
rushes up the beach draining back into the sea.
 Your task!
You will be given a diagram like the one below. Your task is to fill the
correct statements into the correct box on the diagram. You have
3mins!
Waves are strong when
the wind is
strong, and they have tr
avelled a When the waves
long distance. a k th e w a te r g o ing
bre
e b e a c h is ca ll e d
up t h
swash.

Water running
back out to sea is
called backwash
When swash has m
ore
power than backw
ash
stones are left on
the
is b e ac h .
When the backwash
tro ng e r it d ra g s s ton es and
s
o ff th e b e a c h , to the sea.
san d
 How
How diddid youdo?
you do?!
Waves are strong when the wind is strong,
and they have travelled a long distance.

When the waves break

the water going up the
beach is called swash.

Water running back When swash has more power

out to sea is called than backwash stones are left
backwash on the beach.

When the backwash is stronger it

drags stones and sand off the
beach, to the sea.
 There are two types of waves at the coast…
Split your whiteboard into two columns and
bullet point the characteristics of each wave type

Constructive Destructive

https://timeforgeography.co.uk/videos_list/coa
sts/types-waves/
 Do Now
1. Waves are caused by the moon – True or False?
False – Caused by wind
2. What’s the name given to the distance the wind blows across the
water?
Fetch
3. The highest mountain in the UK is called what and height?
Ben Nevis (1343m)
4. What force causes waves to slow down as they reach the shore?
Friction (with the seabed)
5. Waves move in what type of motion?
Circular
6. Describe the UK’S relief
Varied – generally high in the North and North-West (Scotland) and low in the East and
South East of England
7. Which country is the River Severn’s source in?
Wales
8. Name 2 types of waves
Destructive & Constructive
Two types of wave
Two types of wave
Two types of wave
Two types of wave
 What causes them to be different?
Waves!
There are two main types of waves….

Destructive waves like this are caused by:

- Strong winds
- For long period of time
- Over large distance.

Constructive waves like this are caused by:

- light winds
- For short period of time
- Over small distance.

Remember…..* The distance that a wave

has to build up is called the Fetch *
Key
Point