On Jul 6, 5:10 pm, got1tiel <got1t...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> thanks for replying.there are some small southward facing bits of
> beach around the corners of jettys and breakwaters.but the way the
> waves move confuses me. if the wind is blowing out towards the sea why
> would there be large waves bringing floating trash inward to wards the
> shoreline? is there any way to predict this from the weather forecast?
> thanks
There is more to waves than simply the local wind direction. Ocean
waves are created way out at sea. You need wind strength, duration of
the wind, and a "fetch" or distance over which the wind blows to
create waves. There are large ocean circulation patterns, and
currents, and when these get close to land, the shape of the land
affects them. As waves get close to the land in shallower water, they
change their "style" and usually anything, seaweed, garbage, etc. that
is in the nearshore area will be carried in to the beach by the waves.
Wind blowing offshore over shoreline water will have almost no effect
on the floating stuff. You will almost never see waves being created
in an offshore direction and away from a beach. The tops of the waves
might be blown off, but it would be very hard to generate a wave
moving away from a beach. There may be some undertow, and/or a
longshore rip current that moves water and some sand seaward, or along
the beach, but most stuff just washes up on the beach. Find an area
with cleaner water offshore is your major choice.
High tide will bring more stuff in, and it will sit around on the
beach and be more noticeable at low tide.
Good luck
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