( 13 March 1953) 

 Figure 4-59. Old Drum Inlet, North Carolina: negligible offset. 



distribution. It is reasonable to assume that the same is true for wave 

 direction. 



A visual observation program is inexpensive and may be used for breaker 

 direction and for regional coverage when few wave-gage records are avail- 

 able. The observer should be provided with instructions so that all data 

 collected will be uniform, and contact between observer and engineer should be 

 maintained. 



b. Sediment Sampling . 

 Section 11,6. Samples are 

 perpendicular to the shoreline, 

 necessary. Complete and permanent identification of the sample is important 



Sediment sampling programs are described in 



usually surface samples taken along a line 



These are supplemented by borings or cores as 



c. Surveys . Most engineering studies of littoral processes require 

 surveying the beach and nearshore slope. Successive surveys provide data on 

 changes in the beach due to storms, or long-term erosion or accretion. If 

 beach length is also considered, an approximate volume of sand eroded or 

 accreted can be obtained which provides information for the sediment budget of 

 the beach. The envelope of a profile defines fluctuations of sand level at a 

 site (Everts, 1973) and thus provides data useful in beach fill and groin 

 design. 



Methods for obtaining beach and nearshore profiles and the accuracy of the 

 resulting profiles are discussed in Section V,l,d. 



d. Tracers. It is often possible to obtain evidence on the direction of 



4-143 



