PROGRESS REPORTS ON RESEARCH SPONSORED BY 
THE BEACH EROSION BOARD 
Compiled by Thorndike Saville, Jr., Research Division 
Beach Erosion Board 
Summaries of progress made during fiscal year 1963 (i.e. to June 
30, 1963) on the several research contracts in force between universities 
or other institutions, and the Beach Erosion Board, together with brief 
statements as to the status of some research projects being prosecuted in 
the laboratory of the Beach Erosion Board, are presented below. These 
summaries supplement and continue those contained in prior issues of the 
Bulletin. 
I. University of California, Contract DA-49-055-eng-8. Sources of 
Beach Sand, 
This contract was terminated in September 1962 with distribution of 
the report, "Beaches in Northwestern California", which was given limited 
distribution by the University of California as Institute of Engineering 
Research Technical Report, Series 14, Issue 25. This report describes 
conditions at the various beaches sampled north of the Russian River, and 
indicates differences between them. The report indicates that although 
groups of stations having sands that are not significantly different usu- 
ally fall within boundaries of geographic units, the sands at any given 
locality can seldom be correlated with existing wave exposure; consequently 
it is concluded that beach character must reflect other causes as well, 
such as material source, location, and quantity. 
II. Massachusétts Institute of Technology, Contract DA-49-055-civ-eng- 
62-9, Study of Beach Processes in the Inshore and Foreshore Zones. 
(Old Contract DA-49-055-eng-16, Sorting of Beach Sand by Waves). 
Work previously carried out under Contract DA-49-055-eng-16 was con- 
tinued under a new contract, Contract DA-49-055-civ-eng-62-9, with the 
new title "Study of Beach Processes in the Inshore and Foreshore Zones". 
Development of an adequate orbital velocity probe, utilizing a thermistor, 
for use in the study was continued and the probe and its electronic cir- 
cuity is described in MIT Hydrodynamics Laboratory Report No. 61, "A 
Thermistor Probe for Measuring Particle Orbital Speed in Water Waves", 
which has been given limited distribution by MIT. Publication of this 
report by the Beach Erosion Board is planned. The thermistor used has a 
bead diameter of 0.014 inches, and is mounted at the tip of a probe of 
QO.15-inch tubing. Both static and dynamic calibrations have been per- 
formed, and compare favorable with each other. If carefully constructed, 
the instrument also shows relative direction insensitivity. 
Theoretical studies aimed at the description of the geometry and 
kinematics of the shoaling wave were continued, 
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