Backshore
The above high-tide shoreline; covered with water only during storms
Foreshore
The portion exposed a low-tide and submerged at high tide
Nearshore
Extends seaward from the low-tide shoreline to the low-tide breakers line
Offshore
Beyond the low-tide breakers
Shoreline/Coastline
The area between the Shore and the Ocean
Wave-cut bench
A flat, wave-eroded surface
Berm
The dry, gently sloping region at the foot of the coast cliffs or dunes
Beach face
The wet, sloping surface that extends from the berm to the shoreline
Longshore bars
Sand bars parallel to the coast
Longshore trough
The area that separates the longshore bar from the beach face
Describe the movement of sand on the beach as a function of wave energy; Swash
the movement of water up a beach when a wave breaks; carries particles onshore; increases the beach;s slope
Describe the movement of sand on the beach as a function of wave energy; Backwash
water returning to the ocean from waves washing up a beach; carries back the same amount of material as it delivered
Describe the movement of sand on the beach as a function of wave energy; Summertime beach
fair weather, low and long waves, large berm because water pushes sand onto coast
Describe the movement of sand on the beach as a function of wave energy; Wintertime beach
stormy, short and high waves, sandbar created and small berm because waves push sand away from coast
List the factors that affect the speed of longshore currents
The speed of the longshore current increases with increasing wave energy (increasing wave height), steeper beach, increasing wave frequency, and increasing angle between breaker and beach
Discuss the direction of sediment transport by longshore drift in coastal areas of the United States.
the movement of water and sediment along a beach caused by waves coming into shore at an angle
Compare and contrast the features and physical processes at work in erosional-type shores and depositional-type shores
Erosional-type shores are when material form the shore is constantly being removed; depositional-type shores are steady or growing because of their rate of sediment accumulation or the action of living organisms
Describe the features that characterize erosional-type shores; Wave-cut cliffs
cutting action of the surf against the base of coastal land
Describe the features that characterize erosional-type shores; sea caves
this type of cave forms when the ocean beats on a weak area of a cliff and erodes a hole into a rock
Describe the features that characterize erosional-type shores; sea arches
form when wave action continues to erode a sea cave, cutting completely through the rock
Describe the features that characterize erosional-type shores; sea stacks
formed when wave action erodes headlands or when a sea arch collapses, offshore columns of resistant rock that were once connected to the mainland
Describe the features that characterize erosional-type shores; marine terrace
a wave cut platform along a seacoast that has been exposed by uplift or by lowering of sea level
Describe the features that characterize depositional-type shores; spit
a narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea, A beach formed by longshore drift that projects like a finger out into the water
Describe the features that characterize depositional-type shores; bay barrier
a spit that extends across the mouth of a bay, closing it to the sea
Describe the features that characterize depositional-type shores; tombolo
a ridge of sand that connects an island to the mainland or to another island
Describe the features that characterize depositional-type shores; barrier island
a long narrow sandy island (wider than a reef) running parallel to the shore
Describe the features that characterize depositional-type shores;delta
a low triangular area where a river divides before entering a larger body of water, A landform made of sediment that is deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake
Discuss the distribution of the following habitats on a barrier island including how the distribution of island habitats/vegetation zones are related to wave energy, orientation of the island (facing the ocean versus facing the mainland), and substrate; D
Winds blow sands inland during dry periods, stabilized by dune grasses. Help to protect against excessive flooding during storm-driven high tides
Discuss the distribution of the following habitats on a barrier island including how the distribution of island habitats/vegetation zones are related to wave energy, orientation of the island (facing the ocean versus facing the mainland), and substrate; B
Behind the sand dunes from sand driven through the passes during storms
Discuss the distribution of the following habitats on a barrier island including how the distribution of island habitats/vegetation zones are related to wave energy, orientation of the island (facing the ocean versus facing the mainland), and substrate; H
the highest spring-tide line
Discuss the distribution of the following habitats on a barrier island including how the distribution of island habitats/vegetation zones are related to wave energy, orientation of the island (facing the ocean versus facing the mainland), and substrate; L
Extends from the mean sea level to the high neap-tide line
Discuss the effects of human activity on beach compartments including beach starvation, beach replenishment, and examples of human projects that have affected beach compartments (see your text).
beach starvation is the term used when sand from rivers is stopped by dams or by lining rivers with concrete, which prevents the sand from being carried to the coast, beach replenishment is when you add sand dredged from offshore or transported in from an
Distinguish between primary coasts and secondary coasts and discuss differences in the processes that form each type of coast.
Primary: youthful, non-marnie processes
Secondary: mature, dominated by marine processes
Distinguish between emerging shorelines and submerging shorelines: stranded beach deposits
Provides evidence, as do other sorts of deposits, of shoreline that once existed above it's current position. Exist on marine terrace.
Distinguish between emerging shorelines and submerging shorelines : drowned beaches
Submerging
Distinguish between emerging shorelines and submerging shorelines : submerged dune topography
A feature characteristic of Submerging Shorelines; Ancient coastal dune deposits found submerged beneath the present shoreline because of a rise in sea level or a submergence of a the coast.
Distinguish between emerging shorelines and submerging shorelines : drowned river valley
Submerging; a valley drowned by rising sea levels or, inland, the construction of a dam
Define eustatic sea level change and discuss what factors contribute to eustatic sea level changes and the frequency of these changes.
caused by the change in the volume of the water in the sea, or by a change in the shape of the ocean basins.
Factors:
ice build up(glaciation)
melting(deglaciation)
thermal contraction and expansion of seawater
Describe the features that distinguish the U.S. coastlines: the: Atlantic coast
The Atlantic coast is primarily submergent and is characterized by depositional features such as barrier islands. Some parts of the Atlantic coast are emergent (e.g., Maine) and have uplifted wave-cut features. Glacial moraines form islands, such as Long
Describe the features that distinguish the U.S. coastlines: the: Gulf coast
The Gulf coast is primarily submergent and is characterized by depositional features such as barrier islands. Some parts of the Gulf coast are rapidly subsiding (e.g., the Mississippi Delta area,) and these areas experience the fastest erosion rates(1.8m(
Describe the features that distinguish the U.S. coastlines: the: Pacific coast.
The Pacific coast is primarily emergent and experiences the least erosion. Some beaches are becoming narrower through time because of dams across rivers.
Define hard stabilization: groin
built perpendicular to the shoreline;trap sediment between adjacent groins
Define hard stabilization: jetty
built perpendicular to the shoreline;trap sediment, but the main purpose of a jetty is to protect a harbor entrance.
Define hard stabilization: breakwater
A breakwater is a structure built offshore parallel to the coast. The aim of a breakwater is to protect a harbor from more intense wave activity. An unwanted consequence of a breakwater is that sediments are deposited in the harbor.
Define hard stabilization: seawall
A seawall is built on sand to protect the beach from erosion. In most cases, seawalls do not work well or long. They are frequently undermined by increased wave action on the sea side, so that the wall collapses. An unintended consequence of a seawall is