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Glossary

Glossary of Terms

Uprush

The rush of water up the foreshore following the breaking of a wave, also called swash or run up.

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.

Sea

A large body of salt water, second in rank to an ocean, more or less landlocked and generally part of, or connected with, an ocean or a larger sea. Examples: Mediterranean Sea; South China Sea.

Waves caused by wind at the place and time of observation.
State of the ocean surface, in regard to waves.

Primary production

The process in which organisms synthesize organic matter from inorganic materials, or the organic matter itself.

Downdrift

Flow in the direction of net longshore sediment transport.

Coastal Zone

The transition zone where the land meets water; the region that is directly influenced by marine hydrodynamic processes. Extends offshore to the continental shelf break and onshore to the first major change in topography above the reach of major storm waves.

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