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Glossary of Terms

Storm Surge

A temporary rise in sea level associated with a storm's low barometric pressure and onshore winds.

Breaker

A wave breaking on a shore or over a REEF, etc. Breakers may be classified into four types:

COLLAPSING--breaking occurs over lower half of wave, with minimal air pocket and usually no splash-up. Bubbles and foam present.
PLUNGING--crest curls over air pocket; breaking is usually with a crash. Smooth splash-up usually follows.
SPILLING--bubbles and turbulent water spill down front face of wave. The upper 25 percent of the front face may become vertical before breaking. Breaking generally occurs over quite a distance.
SURGING--wave peaks up, but bottom rushes forward from under wave, and wave slides up beach face with little or no bubble production. Water surface remains almost plane except where ripples may be produced on the beach face during runback.

Sediment Source

Point or area on a coast from which beach material is supplied, such as an eroding cliff, or river mouth.

Littoral Zone

In beach terminology, an indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline to just beyond the breaker zone.

Sediment Transport Paths

The routes along which the net sediment movement occurs.

Shore

The narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, including the zone between high and low water lines. A shore of unconsolidated material is usually called a beach.

Also used in a general sense to mean the coastal area (e.g. to live at the shore).
Also sometimes known as the littoral.

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