CONTOUR - (l) A line connecting the points j on a land or submarine 

 siirface^ that have the same elevationj (2) In topographic or 

 hydrographic work, a line connecting all points of equal eleva- 

 tion above or below a datum plane* 



CONTROLLING DEPTH - The least depth of water in the navigable parts 

 of a waterway, which limits the allowable draft of vessels o 



CONVERGENCE - (l) In refraction phenomena, the decreasing of the 

 distance between orthogonals in the direction of wave travel. 

 This denotes an area of increasing wave height and energy con- 

 6entration; (2) In wind set-up phenomena j the increase in 

 set-up observed over that which would occur in an equivalent 

 rectangiilar basin of \iniform depth, caused by changes in plan- 

 form or depth; also the decrease in basin width or depth causing 

 such increase in set-upo 



CORAL - The calcareous skeletons of various anthozoans and a few 

 hydrozoans; also these skeletons when solidified into a stony 

 mass. Many tropical islands, reefs, and atolls are formed of 

 coralo 



COVE - A small sheltered recess in a shore or coastj often inside a 

 larger embayment, (See Figure A-8) 



CREST LENGTH, WAVE - The length of a wave along its crest. Sometimes 

 called CREST VJIDTH. 



CREST OF BERM - The seaward limit of a berm. Also BERM EDGE. (See Figure 



A-1) 

 CREST OF WAVE - (l) The highest part of a wave,- (2) That part of the 

 wave above still water level, (See Figure A-3) 



CREST WIDTH, WAVE - See CREST LENGTH, VJAVE, 



CURRENT - A flow of water. 



CURRENT, COASTAL - One of the offshore currents flowing generally par- 

 allel to the shore line with a relatively uniform velocity (as 

 compared to the littoral currents). They are not related genetic- 

 ally to waves and resulting surf but may be composed of currents 

 related to distribution of mass in ocean waters (or local eddies), 

 wind-driven currents and/or tidal currents, 



CURRENT, DRIFT - A broad^, shallow, slow-moving ocean or lake current, 



CURRENT, EBB - The movement of the tidal current awaj from shore or 

 down a tidal stream. 



A-7 



