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Story: Coastal erosion

Dissipative beach

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Dissipative beach

Waihī Beach, Bay of Plenty, is an eroded beach – very wide and flat with shallow waters for some distance offshore. Most of the incoming waves generate currents close to shore and carry (dissipate) sediment from one area to another.

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GNS Science

Reference: CN37875/4

by Lloyd Homer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Willem de Lange, Coastal erosion – Shifting sands, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6327/dissipative-beach (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Willem de Lange, published 2 March 2009.