[ 241 1 



XXXI.— ON THE ACTION OF WAVES ON SEA-BEACHES AND 

 SEA-BOTTOMS. By AETHTJE EOOPE HUNT, M.A., 

 E.G.S. ' 



[Eead, Marclil7, 1884.] 



The action of waves on sea-beaches and sea-bottoms has been 

 much discussed during the last fifty years, but apparently without 

 much practical result, as there is scarcely an important point con- 

 nected with the subject that is accepted without dispute, whilst not 

 only the opinions, but even the recorded observations, of skilled 

 observers are often, to all appearance, in hopeless conflict, 



Current scientific opinion on this question may be conveniently 

 gathered from three valuable Papers ^ published in the Proceedings 

 of the Institution of Civil Engineers, viz. : — 



* " On the Alluvial Formations and Local Changes of the South 

 Coast of England," by John Baldry Redman, M. Inst. C. E. — 

 Proc. Inst. 0. U., vol. xi. 



* " Description of the Chesil Bank, &c.," by John Coode, M. Inst. 

 C. 'E.—Proc. Inst. C. E., vol. xii. 



* " On the Origin of the Chesil Bank, &c.," by Joseph Prestwich, 

 M. A., F. R. ^.—Proc. Inst. C. E., vol. xl. 



These Papers, together with the discussions that followed them, 

 furnish the student with the opinions of upwards of thirty men of 

 science specially interested in the subject of wave action, either as 

 engineers, geologists, or physicists. 



More recently Mr. Gr. H. Kinahan has continued the discussion 

 of the subject generally in the following Papers, viz. : — 



"Drifting Power of Tidal Currents versus that of Wind- 

 waves." — Proc. Roy. Irish Acad., s.s. vol. ii.. Science, p. 443, 1875. 



* "Lagoons on the S.-E. Coast of Ireland." — Proc. Inst. C.E.y 

 vol. xliv. 



" On the Chesil Beach, &c." — Quarterly Journal Geological 

 Society, 1877. 



* " The travelling of Sea Beaches. — "Proc. Inst. C.E., vol. Iviii. 



1 The Papers marked thus [*] are referred to according to their pagination 

 as reprints, the volumes of the Procceedings of the various Societies in which they 

 are puhlihsed not being within my reach. 



SCIEN. PKOC. R.D.S. — VOL. IV. PT. VI. 2 A 



