EDDY CURRENT - See EDDY. 



EDGE WAVE - An ocean wave parallel to a coast, with crests normal to the 

 shoreline. An edge wave may be standing or progressive. Its height 

 diminishes rapidly seaward and is negligible at a distance of one 

 wavelength offshore. 



EMBANKMENT - An artificial bank such as a mound or dike, generally built 

 to hold back water or to carry a roadway. 



EMBAYED - Formed into a bay or bays, as an embayed shore. 



EMBAYMENT - An indentation in the shoreline forming an open bay. 



ENERGY COEFFICIENT - The ratio of the energy in a wave per unit crest 



length transmitted forward with the wave at a point in shallow water 

 to the energy in a wave per unit crest length transmitted forward 

 with the wave in deep water. On refraction diagrams this is equal 

 to the ratio of the distance between a pair of orthogonals at a 

 selected point to the distance between the same pair of orthogonals 

 in deep water. Also the square of the REFRACTION COEFFICIENT. 



ENTRANCE - The avenue of access or opening to a navigable channel. 



EOLIAN SANDS - (or BLOWN SANDS) - Sediments of sand size or smaller which 

 have been transported by winds. They may be recognized in marine 

 deposits off desert coasts by the greater angularity of the grains 

 compared with waterborne particles. 



EROSION - The wearing away of land by the action of natural forces. On 

 a beach, the carrying away of beach material by wave action, tidal 

 currents, littoral currents, or by deflation. 



ESCARPMENT - A more or less continuous line of cliffs or steep slopes 

 facing in one general direction which are caused by erosion or 

 faulting. Also SCARP. (See Figure A-1.) 



ESTUARY - (1) The part of a river that is affected by tides. (2) The 

 region near a river mouth in which the fresh water of the river 

 mixes with the salt water of the sea. 



EYE - In meteorology, usually the "eye of the storm" (hurricane); the 



roughly circular area of comparatively light winds and fair weather 

 found at the center of a severe tropical cyclone. 



FAIRWAY - Tlie parts of a waterway that are open and unobstructed for 

 navigation. The main traveled part of a waterway; a marine 

 thoroughfare. 



FATHOM - A unit of measurement used for soundings. It is equal to 6 feet 

 (1.83 meters) . 



A-12 



