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Glossary

Glossary of Terms

Beach Profile

A cross-sectional plot of a shore-normal topographic and geomorphic beach survey, usually in comparison to other survey dates to illustrate seasonal and longer-term changes in beach volume.

Updrift

The direction opposite that of the predominant movement of littoral materials.

Runnel

A corrugation or trough formed in the foreshore or in the bottom just offshore by waves or tidal currents (see ridge and runnel).

Inshore (zone)

In beach terminology, the zone of variable width extending from the low water line through the breaker zone.

Groyne

Narrow, roughly shore-normal structure built to reduce longshore currents, and/or to trap and retain littoral material. Most groins are of rock and extend from the backshore, well onto the foreshore and rarely even further offshore.

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.

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