arch
a rock weathering remnant in the form of an arch (typically along a coast and resulting from wave erosion) (4.3)
backshore
the region of the beach above the high tide line, which is only submerged under unusually high wave conditions (4.1)
backwash
the wash of wave water down the slope of a beach (4.1)
bar-built estuary
an estuary created when a sand bar or barrier island cuts off the estuary from mixing completely with seawater (4.6)
barrier island
a long, thin island parallel to the shore, created through the deposition of sand (4.4)
baymouth bar
a spit that extends across the mouth of a bay (4.4)
beach face
the area of a beach between the high and low tide lines (4.1)
berm
a flat area of a beach in the backshore area (above the high tide level) (4.1)
blowhole
a hole in the ceiling of an arch or sea cave through which water is ejected when waves approach (4.3)
brackish
seawater of low salinity; part fresh water, part seawater (4.6)
breakwater
a structure built offshore in order to deflect the energy of waves (4.5)
coastal plain estuary
an estuary formed when sea level rises and submerges a river valley (also known as a drowned river valley estuary) (4.6)
coastal straightening
the tendency for an irregular coast to be straightened over time by coastal erosion processes (4.3)
delta
large, often triangular accumulation of sediment near the mouth of a river (4.4)
drowned river valley estuary
an estuary formed when sea level rises and submerges a river valley (also known as a coastal plain estuary) (4.6)
estuary
a partially enclosed body of water where seawater is diluted by freshwater input (4.6)
eustatic sea level change
sea level change related to a change in the volume of the oceans, typically because of an increase or decrease in the amount of glacial ice on land (4.7)
fjord
a deep, U-shaped estuary that was carved out by advancing glaciers (4.6)
flushing time
the time it would take for all of the fresh water in an estuary to be replaced by runoff of new water (4.6)
foreshore
the part of a beach between the high tide and low tide lines (4.1)
groin (groyne)
a man-made structure extending from the shore built to deflect the energy of waves (4.5)
groin field
a series of groins along a beach (4.5)
hard stabilization
the building of physical structures to prevent the erosion of beaches and shorelines (4.5)
headland
a point of land extending out to sea (4.3)
highly stratified estuary
a deep estuary with some mixing at the surface, but little mixing at depth (4.6)
isostatic sea level change
the effect on relative sea level of a vertical movement of the crust resulting from a change in the mass of the crust (e.g., from losing or gaining ice) (4.7)
jetty
a long structure built to protect a harbor from filling with sand due to longshore transport (4.5)
littoral drift
the movement of sediment along a shoreline resulting from a longshore current and also from the swash and backwash on a beach face (another name for longshore transport) (4.2)
longshore bar
an offshore deposit of sand parallel to the shoreline (4.1)
longshore current
the movement of water parallel to a shoreline produced by the approach of waves at an angle to the shore (4.2)
longshore transport
the movement of sediment along a shoreline resulting from a longshore current and also from the swash and backwash on a beach face. Also known as littoral drift (4.2)
low tide terrace
another name for the beach face (4.1)
nearshore
the part of a beach from the low tide line to the depth where wave action is no longer influenced by the bottom, i.e. to where the depth exceeds the wave base (4.1)
offshore
the beach zone beyond the nearshore region (4.1)
partially mixed estuary
where salinity increases from the head to the mouth, but there is also a slight increase in salinity with depth at any point; also called a slightly stratified estuary (4.6)
rip current
a strong flow of water outward from a beach (4.2)
salt wedge estuary
an estuary with mostly fresh surface water, and a wedge of seawater intruding along the bottom (4.6)
scarp
a short, steep wall carved out by wave action between the foreshore and the berm of a beach (4.1)
sea cave
a shallow cave formed on a rocky shore by wave erosion (4.3)
sea cliff
a coastal escarpment that is typically eroding inland as a result of wave action (4.3)
sea stack
a prominent rocky island that is a remnant of the erosion of a headland (4.3)
seawall
a wall built against a sea cliff or dune to prevent erosion from wave action (4.5)
slightly stratified estuary
where salinity increases from the head to the mouth, but there is also a slight increase in salinity with depth at any point; also called a partially mixed estuary (4.6)
spit
a sand or coarser deposit extending from shore out into open water (4.4)
surf zone
the near-shore zone where waves are breaking into surf (4.1)
swash
the upward motion of a wave on a beach (typically takes place at the same angle that the waves are approaching the shore) (4.1)
tectonic estuary
an estuary formed from flooding following the tectonic subsidence of land (4.6)
thermal expansion
the increase in the volume of a body water as its temperature rises and its density decreases (4.7)
tombolo
a sand or coarser deposit connecting an island or rocky prominence to a larger body of land (4.4)
vertically-mixed estuary
estuary with complete mixing of fresh and salt water, where salinity is constant at all depths in a particular location but increases towards the estuary mouth; also called a well-mixed estuary (4.6)
wave-cut platform/terrace
a nearly-horizontal bench of rock eroded by waves within the surf zone (4.3)
well-mixed estuary
estuary with complete mixing of fresh and salt water, where salinity is constant at all depths in a particular location but increases towards the estuary mouth; also called a vertically-mixed estuary (4.6)