Episode 128: Wind, Deserts, and Coasts
The Science of Everything Podcast
00:00
What Is a Wave?
When waves approach shore, they gradually slow down that occurs. So sand on beaches kind of protects further erosion, at least of that local area. It's the transfer of, predominantly a transfer of energy, not a transfer of matter. As that wave gets closer to shore, eventually, as the water gets shallower, the bottom of the wave becomes compressed against the the bottom ofthe ocean. When that happens, there's effectively a drag force, and the whole wave slows down.
Transcript
Play full episode
