The nature of the beach is a response to the type of waves and beach material.

Flamborough is a sheltered bay and the waves are therefore focussed onto a smaller area. After collecting data on the beach profile, it was discovered that the beach has a defined shape. At the lower end of the beach nearer to the sea the beach is relatively flat. Here the material on the beach is small sand-like particles. Towards the top the beach is steeper rising from a +5? angle at the bottom to a +11? at the very top. This profile implies that the beach is affected by constructive waves, however there is strong contradictory evidence to this. The wave-cut platform that extends out from the beach into the sea is a factor on the profile. The waves break on the platform, and the friction caused here means a lot of the wave energy is lost thus reducing the power of the wave's backwash. It is therefore possible that destructive waves are acting upon the coast at Selwicks bay but because of the wave-cut platform, measuring 90 metres in length, the waves lose there power and appear to have a somewhat constructive effect on the beach profile. The wave count taken at Selwicks bay showed a high frequency of waves breaking on the shore at an average of 14.2 per minute. This evidence further supports the theory that destructive waves are active at Flamborough even thought the beach profile is not characteristic of destructive wave motions. The beach material at Flamborough is to an extent sorted. At the edge of the wave-cut platform the material is small and gritty. Further up the beach the material increases in size (see Transect for further confirmation, and supporting evidence). This again, although not directly, supports the theorem of destructive waves at this coastline.

At Hornsea there is no platform (as it is a clay coast, wave-cut platforms being a feature of chalk coastlines) and the coast is therefore directly influenced by the waves. The material on the beach here is finer and more sorted (see Hornsea Beach Transect), it is clearly carried up the beach by constructive waves. The wave count also confirms that constructive waves are present at Hornsea. There were less than ten a minute (an average of 7.4 per minute exactly) which is one of the characteristics of such waves. The profile of the beach also correlates with the constructive wave theory. The beach has a gentle slope rarely exceeding a +5? angle. The beach material decreases in size as it gets closer to the promenade, further from the sea implying that it has been easily transported up the beach by the strong swash. The seawater is stored in the pores and spaces between the sand grains and leaves little water to form a strong backwash. Thus the water returns down the beach with little friction, as a small and weak backwash, and so pulls very little material away.

Aforementioned Evidence:

Transects, Pages 15 and 16

Beach Profiles, Pages 17 and 18

Wave Frequency Charts, Pages 19 and 20