Erosion

The loss of sediment, sometimes indicated by the landward retreat of a shoreline indicator such as the water line, the berm crest, or the vegetation line.

Glossary of Terms

Geographical Information System (GIS)

Database of information which is geographically referenced, usually with an associated visualization system.

Shoreface

The narrow zone seaward from the low tide shoreline, covered by water, over which the beach sands and gravels actively oscillate with changing wave conditions.

Runup, rundown

The upper and lower levels reached by a wave on a beach or coastal structure, relative to still-water level.

Littoral Transport

The movement of beach material in the littoral zone by waves and currents. Includes movement parallel (longshore drift) and sometimes perpendicular (cross-shore transport) to the shore; Also referred to as littoral drift.

Hydrography

The description and study of seas, lakes, rivers and other waters; the science of locating aids and dangers to navigation; the description of physical properties of the waters of a region.

Siltation

The input of non-calcareous fine-grained sediments to the nearshore marine environment, or the settling out of fine-grained sediments on the sea floor.

The settling of fine-grained particles to the sea bottom.

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Erosion