Which statement is true about foreshore as a coastal feature?

Which statement is true about foreshore as a coastal feature?

• A. The foreshore is the lower portion of a beach from mean lower-low water to mean higher high-water line
• B. The foreshore refers to the dune line inland of the beach
• C. Storm waves never extend beyond the foreshore
• D. The foreshore is above the mean high-water line at all times

Answer: (A)

Waves define zones on a beach, and the foreshore is the belt that is regularly wetted by those waves. It lies between the low-tide limit and the high-tide limit, the part of the beach that shifts from dry to wet as tides rise and fall. The statement that describes the foreshore as the lower portion of the beach from mean lower-low water up to mean higher high-water line captures this tidal range—the area that experiences routine wave wash across tidal cycles.

This zone is distinct from the inland dune line, which belongs to the backshore or inland portions of the beach, and it’s not restricted to being above the mean high-water line at all times. Storm waves can reach beyond the foreshore, so saying they never extend beyond it isn’t accurate.