This pebble beach, in Pebble Beach, looks out over the Pacific Ocean. A beach is defined as the location along a shoreline where the sediment is in motion, being moved by waves, tides, and currents. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. © 1996 - 2020 National Geographic Society. the breaking down or dissolving of the Earth's surface rocks and minerals. Other articles where Sand beach is discussed: coastal landforms: Landforms of depositional coasts: …that is characterized by well-developed sand beaches typically formed on long barrier islands with a few widely spaced tidal inlets. One of the most famous fossil beaches, however, is still a beach. Abrasion – waves carry material which thrashes against the cliff and progressively disintegrate it. Waves on beaches that have a gentle slope run up the beach powerfully, before falling back gently, therefore depositing material at the top, which slowly makes the beach steeper. Natural beaches reduce the power of waves, wind, and storm surges. It cost the government more than $80 million to replace the barrier beach.On Kauai, one of the islands in Hawaii, more than 70 percent of the beach is eroding, partly because of construction of seawalls and jetties, and from clearing out stream mouths.