The higher berm found on a beach is formed _________blank.
Multiple Choice
from the slumping of cliffs in the backshore
when neap tides occur during the spring and summer
during periods of low-energy waves in the summer
when large waves occur at low tide
during winter storm conditions
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
during winter storm conditions.
Explanation:
The higher berm on a beach is typically formed during winter storm conditions. Berms are the flat, often raised areas of a beach that lie above the normal high tide line, and they can be created by the interaction of waves, wind, and sediment transport.
During the winter months, storms are more frequent and intense, producing large waves that can reach further up the beach. These waves carry and deposit sand, creating a higher berm. In particular, winter storms generate powerful waves that erode the shoreline, transporting sediment from the lower beach and depositing it in the backshore region. The berm is built up as waves break further up the beach, pushing sand into a raised ridge.
Winter storms also bring more energetic wave action compared to the calmer waves of summer. The strong onshore winds and higher-energy waves during winter can cause significant changes in the beach profile. The rougher conditions lead to greater sediment movement, and as a result, the berm can grow taller, especially when the waves are accompanied by a high storm surge.
In contrast, during the summer, waves are typically less powerful, and the energy is less directed toward the backshore, leading to the formation of a lower, flatter berm. Similarly, neap tides and other seasonal factors like the occurrence of large waves at low tide are not as significant in forming the higher berm.
Thus, it is the storm conditions of winter, with their stronger and more frequent waves, that contribute to the formation of a higher berm on the beach.