Geo 305 Ch 10

Front 1

barrier island

Back 1

An elongate, offshore accumulation of sand that is above water level and is separated from the mainland by a bay or lagoon; stops large waves from reaching the shore of the mainland.

Front 2

beach

Back 2

Associated with an ocean or lake, an accumulation of loose material, most commonly sand, gravel, or bits of shell, on a shoreline as the result of wave action. As used by river rafters, a wide sand accumulation along a low bank of the channel.

Front 3

beach budget

Back 3

Inventory of sediment influx and loss along a particular stretch of coastline.

Front 4

beach nourishment

Back 4

Mechanical addition of sediment, generally sand, to a shore for recreational and aesthetic purposes, as well as to buffer coastal erosion.

Front 5

bluff

Back 5

As a landform, a high steep bank or cliff along a lakeshore or river valley commonly made of weakly consolidated earth material.

Front 6

breakwater

Back 6

A structure, such as a wall, which may be attached to a beach or located offshore, designed to protect a beach or harbor from the force of waves.

Front 7

eustatic sea level

Back 7

The worldwide average vertical position of the ocean surface.

Front 8

groins

Back 8

A long, narrow structure of rock, concrete, wood, or other material generally constructed perpendicular to the shore to protect the coastline and trap sediment in the zone of littoral drift.

Front 9

jetties

Back 9

Very long, narrow, structures of rock, concrete, or other material generally constructed perpendicular to the shore; commonly constructed in pairs at the mouth of a river or inlet to a lagoon, estuary, or bay; designed to stabilize a channel, control deposition of sediment, and deflect large waves.

Front 10

littoral transport

Back 10

Movement of sediment in the nearshore environment as a result of return of flow from waves that have washed up on the shore; sediment is moved by both the longshore current and by beach drift.

Front 11

relative sea level

Back 11

The local or regional position of the sea at the shore that is influenced by uplift or subsidence of the land and changes in global eustatic sea level.

Front 12

rip current

Back 12

A seaward flow of water in a confined narrow area from a beach to beyond the breaker zone.

Front 13

rogue wave

Back 13

A single crest of an oscillation of the surface of the ocean that is much higher than usual. Commonly caused by the constructive interference of smaller waves.

Front 14

sea cliff

Back 14

Steep, commonly nearly vertical bluff adjoining a beach or other coastal environment; produced by a combination of wave erosion and erosion from the land, such as landsliding and runoff of surface water. Groundwater seepage may also contribute to its development.

Front 15

seawall

Back 15

A structure, commonly made of concrete, large stone blocks, wood or steel pilings, or cemented sand bags, built parallel to the coastline to protect buildings and infrastructure from wave and flood damage.