There are various kinds of ocean water movements which are influenced by diverse physical features such as density, salinity, temperature among others. Also, ocean water movements are affected by other aspects like the winds, moon and sun. Waves, currents, and tides characterize any large water body (Thomas & Loague, 2014). They involve various forms of movement within the waters and along the shores, affecting the land structure nearby. Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans are examples of large water bodies. Movements within the ocean waters have various effects on coastal lands. The effects depend on the type of land along the shores. The waters are in constant movement due to the waves and currents. The water levels along the shores also change from time to time. Waves and currents are usually generated from storms and winds (Thomas & Loague, 2014). They flow in various directions, thereby having varied effects along the shores. Devil’s Slide located between Linda Mar District and Montara is one of the coastlines affected by waves, currents, and tides.
The effects of these three water movements may be short-term or long-lasting. The most common short-term effect is the redistribution of sediments along the coastal line. This happens due to multidirectional movements of waves and currents, and the impact of tides, which leads to constant changes in water levels along the shore (Gonzalez-Santamaria, Zou, & Pan, 2015). Loss of sediments in one location may lead to accretion in a nearby shore. A change in the direction of movement will reverse the effect, thereby causing the short-term effects of erosion and accretion in two nearby locations. Long-term effects, on the other hand, involve complete loss of the sediments and rocks along the coastlines. The change in water levels is permanent, and in most cases, the water body levels extend into the land.
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Waves, currents, and tides affect the coastlines through erosion, which can be defined as the wearing of land through the loss of sediments. Erosion may be due to abrasion, corrosion, or hydraulic action. Erosion along non-rocky coastal lines leads to the formation of rocks. The non-rocky upper layer will be swept away, leaving the deeper rocky layers. This type of erosion might result in an increase in the deepness of waterbody along the shore due to the removal of dune sediments. Coastlines with rocky layers are resistant to erosion. However, even the rocky land has some soft layers which can be easily swept away. The softer land will be eroded, leaving behind the resistant rock layers (Gonzalez et al., 2015). This effect leads to the formation of landforms, such as pillars, tunnels, bridges, and columns.
In areas where there are strong winds, abrasion takes place. Abrasion is the grinding and wearing of rocks caused by the mechanical action of millions of sand particles or other rocks. The effects are more prominent in areas with soft rocks and loose sand. Sharp sand grains will be blown in millions, thereby causing sandblasting effect. The end result will be erosion and smoothening of rocks (Gonzalez et al., 2015). Polished rocks may become weak and easy to wash away.
The erosion effect of waves depends on several factors. The hardness of the rock surface facing the water body is one of the factors. Also, the presence of fissures and fractures causes a weak point through which strong waves and currents can disintegrate the rocks (Gonzalez et al., 2015). Some rocks are caused by non-cohesive materials such as fine sand and silt. They are easy to disintegrate and erode. Finally, the wave crossing the beach must be strong enough to cause erosion. However, cumulative weak effects might also cause substantial effects after a long time.
Devil’s Slide is a coastline characterized by steeps and rocky surfaces. Positioned in between “Montara Mountain” and “San Pedro Ridge”, it’s width almost half of a mile and stretches 900 feet from the top of the ridge towards the ocean. Thousands of years following the rising pressure has led to the weakening of the cliffs’ rocks. In addition, the trapped underground water makes the frail rock to move (Gonzalez et al., 2015). Consequently, the drubbing waves washes the slide’s bottom. Therefore, due to the long-term effects of erosion, the land is steep and has eroded slopes consisting of between 30 and 50% natural gradients (Thomas & Loague, 2014). The Montara Mountain watershed has small coastal valleys created by the erosions. The soils in these valleys are deep and well-drained. Due to strong waves and water currents, the slopes along the Devil’s Slide are steep. The rocky floor offers needed resistance to further erosion, thus, uniformity in the erosion effects.
The Devil’s Slide coastline has a Mediterranean climate characterized by a strong maritime influence. Both seasonal and diurnal temperature ranges of the region are high. The moistures are also high as compared to other coastlines. The areas over San Pedro Mountain and along Montara Mountain slopes are covered by thick northern coastal scrub (Thomas & Loague, 2014). Despite having rocky land resistant to the effects of water waves, currents and tides, the region has been greatly affected by erosion. It is apparent that water movements are greatly affected by several factors. Waves, tides and currents have played a major role in the formation of some of the most remarkable natural sites. These natural happenings continue up to date and further studies are being conducted on their adverse influence in the formation of habitats.
References
Gonzalez-Santamaria, R., Zou, Q. P., & Pan, S. (2015). Impacts of a wave farm on waves, currents and coastal morphology in South West England. Estuaries and Coasts , 38 (1), 159-172.
Thomas, M. A., & Loague, K. (2014). Devil's Slide: An evolving feature of California's coastal landscape. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience , 20 (1), 45-65.
