APPENDIX A 

 GLOSSARY OF SELECTED COASTAL ENGINEERING TERMS^ 



ACCRETION - May be either Natural or ARTIFICIAL. Natural accretion is 

 the buildup of land solely by the action of the forces of nature, 

 on a BEACH by deposition of waterborne or airborne material. 

 Artificial accretion is a similar buildup of land by reason of an 

 act of man, such as the accretion formed by a groin, breakwater, 

 or beach fill deposited by mechanical means. 



ALONGSHORE - Parallel to and near the shoreline; same as LONGSHORE. 



ARTIFICIAL NOURISHMENT - The process of replenishing a beach with material 

 (usually sand) obtained from another location. 



BACKSHORE - That zone of the shore or beach lying between the foreshore 

 and the coastline and acted upon by waves only during severe storms 

 especially when combined with exceptionally high water. Also 

 backbeach. It comprises the BERM or BERMS. 



BAR - A submerged or emerged embankment of sand, gravel, or other 



unconsolidated material built on the sea floor in shallow water by 

 waves and currents. 



BATHYMETRY - The measurement of depths of water in oceans , seas , and 

 lakes; also information derived from such measurements. 



BEACH - The zone of unconsolidated material that extends landward from 

 the low water line to the place where there is marked changed in 

 material or physiographic form, or to the line of permanent vege- 

 tation (usually the effective limit of storm waves). The seaward 

 limit of a beach - unless otherwise specified - is the mean low 

 water line. A beach includes FORESHORE and BACKSHORE. 



BEACH BERM - A nearly horizontal part of the beach or backshore formed 

 by the deposit of material by wave action. Some beaches have no 

 berms, others have one or several. 



BEACH EROSION - The carrying away of beach materials by wave action, 

 tidal currents, littoral currents, or wind. 



BLUFF - A high steep bank or cliff. 



A more detailed listing of terminology used in coastal engineering 

 is given in A Glossccpy of Coastal Engineering Terms, MP 2-72, and the 

 Shore Protection Manual, Vol. III. 



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