APPEt©IX A 

 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 



ACCRETION " May be either NATURAL or ARTIFICIAL o Natural accretion 



is the gradual build-up of land over a long period of time solely 

 by the action of the forces of nature^ on a BEACH by deposition 

 of water- or air-borne material. Artificial accretion is a simi" 

 lar build-up 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 o Also AGGRADATION, 



ADVANCE (OF A BEilC-H) = (l) a continuing seaward movement of the shore 

 linej (2) A net seaward movement of the ahore line over a speci- 

 fied t-imeo Also PROGRESSION » 



AGE J WAVE - The ratio of xirave velocity to wind velocity (in wave fore- 

 casting theory) o 



AILUVIIIM ~ Soil (sand^p mud., or similar detrital material) deposited o}- 

 flowing iirater^, or the deposits formed therebyo 



ALONGSHORE = Same as LONGSHORE o 



AMPLITUDE^ WATS -= (l) in hydrodynamics^ one-half the wave height^ 

 (2) in engineering usage^ lGOsely„ the wave height from crest 

 t<o troughs 



ARTIFICIAL NOURISHMENT = The process of replenishing a beach by arti- 

 ficial means^ Sogo by the deposition of dxedged materials, 



ATOLL = A ring=like "''coral'' island or islands encircling or nearly 

 encircling a lagoono It should be noted th.at the term "'coral" 

 island for most of these tropical islands is incorrect as cal- 

 careous algae (Lithe thamnion) often forms much more than ^0% 

 of themo 



ATOLL REEF - A ring-shapedo coral reef ;, often carrying low sand 

 islands 9 enclosing a body of water o 



AWASH - (l) (Nautical) Condition of an object tfhich is nearly flush 

 with the water levels (2) (Common usage) Condition of being 

 tossed about or washed by waves or tides 



BACKBEAGK =■ See BACKSHOREo 



BACKRUSH ■= The seaward return of the vjater following the uprush of the 

 waves o For any given tide stage the point of farthest return sea- 

 ward ox the baekrush is known as the LIMIT of BACKRUSH or LIMIT 

 of BACKWASH-a. (See Figure A=2) 



A==l 



