Which term describes the dry, gently sloping region, primarily composed of sand, on the beach?

• A. Sediment
• B. Backshore
• C. Foreshore
• D. Berm

Answer: (D)

The key idea is beach profile zones and where they form. The berm is the dry, gently sloping ridge you see at the upper part of the beach. It sits just above the high-tide line and forms from waves washing up and dropping sand, so its surface is typically dry and sand-dominated. The foreshore, by contrast, lies between the low and high tide lines and is regularly wetted by waves; the backshore sits landward of the high-tide line and is also dry but generally broader and may include dunes. Sediment refers to the material itself, not a distinct beach zone. So the dry, sand-dominated area at the upper beach is the berm.