A GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED

The definitions in this glossary are taken mainly from The Glossary of Geology (Bates and Jackson, 1987), the Dictionary of Geological Terms (American Geological Institute, 1976) and The Penguin Dictionary of Geography (Moore, 1981). These definitions are specific to this study and to the science of coastal geomorphology; some terms may have different meanings in other contexts

accretion The gradual or imperceptible increase or extension of land by natural forces over a long period of time, as on a beach by the washing up of sand or on a flood plain by the accumulation of sediment deposited by a stream

aeolian Pertaining to the wind

aggregate A mass or body of rock particles, mineral grains, or a mixture of both

astronomical tide The hypothetical tidal level that would result from gravitational effects of the Earth, Sun and Moon, in the absence of ocean constraints and dynamics

backshore The upper or inner, usually dry, zone of the shore or beach, lying between the high-water line of mean spring tides and the upper limit of shore-zone processes

backwash The receding movement of sea water down a beach after the breaking of a wave

barrier beach Depositional landform that is separated from the mainland coast by a lagoon, bay or marsh

bathymetry The depths and shapes of underwater terrain.

baseline A line, normally straight, from which transects are set off, normally at right angles

beach face The section of the beach normally exposed to the action of wave swash; the foreshore of the beach

bedrock A general term for the rock that is usually solid, and underlies younger unconsolidated material

berm A low, impermanent, nearly horizontal or landward sloping bench, shelf, ledge or narrow terrace on the backshore of a beach, formed of material thrown up and deposited by storm waves

blowout A general term for a small saucer-, cup- or trough shaped hollow or depression formed by wind erosion on a pre-existing dune or other sand deposit

boulder A sediment greater than 256 mm diameter. Roughly bigger than basketball size.

break in slope A line along which the angle of a slope steepens noticeably

clay A loose, earthy, extremely fine-grained, natural sediment or soft rock composed primarily of particles less than 0.002 millimetres diameter, and characterized by high plasticity

climate The average weather conditions of a place or region throughout the seasons (cf. weather)

coastal setback The distance from the coastline beyond which development is prohibited, restricted and/or discouraged

cobble A sediment between 64 mm and 256 mm diameter. Roughly tennis ball to basketball sized material.

colluvium Loose, weathered material brought to the foot of a cliff or some other slope by gravity

constructive wave A wave that builds up a beach by moving material landward, as a gentle wave with a more powerful swash than backwash

crest The highest point of a landform

deglaciation The uncovering of a land area from beneath a glacier or ice sheet by the withdrawal of ice due to shrinkage by melting

destructive wave A wave that erodes a beach by moving material seaward, as a storm wave with a more powerful backwash than swash

detrital Pertaining to or formed from rock or mineral fragments

digital surface model (DSM) A computer model that represents the solid surface of the Earth, including objects above it, such as trees and buildings. Similar to Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

dissipative beach A low, wide flat beach typically composed of sand

dune field An area of moving and fixed sand dunes

embryo dune A dune initiated seaward of the stoss slope of a foredune, where sand has accumulated within and behind individual plants on the backshore. On an accreting coast, the embryo dune will develop into a foredune

erosion The general process or group of processes whereby the materials of the Earth’s crust are loosened, dissolved, or worn away, and simultaneously moved from one place to another

eustatic Pertaining to worldwide changes of sea level that affect all the oceans

fetch The distance from a coastal area of open ocean, over which the wind blows with constant speed and direction, thereby creating waves

fluvial Of or pertaining to a river or rivers

foredune A coastal dune or dune ridge oriented parallel to the shoreline, more or less completely stabilized by vegetation

foreshore The lower or outer, gradually seaward-sloping, zone of the shore or beach, lying between the crest of the most seaward berm on the backshore and the ordinary low-water mark

geomorphic Relating to the form of the landscape and other natural features of the Earth's surface

glaciofluvial Pertaining to the meltwater streams flowing from wasting (melting) glacier ice, and especially to the deposits and landforms produced by such streams

glaciomarine Deposited by glacial meltwater in an ocean environment

gravel An unconsolidated, natural accumulation of rounded rock fragments resulting from erosion, consisting predominantly of particles larger than sand (2 mm); or a popular term for a loose accumulation of rock fragments, composed predominantly of pebbles, cobbles and boulders

groundwater That part of the subsurface water that is in the zone of saturation, including underground streams

gullies Distinct, narrow channels created by running water (see gullying)

gullying Erosion of soil or soft rock material by running water, forming distinct, narrow channels that usually carry water only during and immediately after heavy rains, or following the melting of ice and snow

Holocene An epoch of the Quaternary period, from the end of the Pleistocene, approximately 10 000 BP, to the present. The term “Anthropocene” is sometimes used to refer to the most recent part of the Holocene, after humans had evolved

ionospheric delay The amount of additional transmission time a signal incurs as it passes through the ionosphere, 75–1000 km above the Earth

isthmus A narrow strip or neck of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting two larger land areas, such as a peninsula and the mainland or two continents

isostatic change The vertical movement of the lithosphere (the rigid, outer part of the Earth) with respect to the asthenosphere (the mechanically weak region of the Earth’s upper mantle)

lagoon A shallow stretch of seawater, such as a sound, channel, bay or saltwater lake, near or communicating with the sea and partly or completely separated from it by a low, narrow, elongate strip of land, such as a reef, barrier island, sandbank or spit

longshore drift The transportation of sediment along a coast parallel or subparallel to the shoreline or the sediment moved by this process

marine Pertaining to the sea

marine limit The highest recorded level of late-glacial submergence, or former limit of the sea

meltwater Water derived from the melting of snow or ice, especially stream water flowing in, under or from melting glacier ice

notch A deep, narrow cut or hollow along the base of a sea cliff near the high-water mark

notching Creation of a notch by undercutting due to wave erosion, and above which the cliff overhangs

nearshore Extending seaward for an undefined but generally short distance from the shoreline. Specifically, extending from the low-water shoreline to beyond the breaker zone

orthophoto A geometrically corrected aerial photograph or image

overwash A mass of water representing the part of the swash that runs over the berm crest and does not flow directly back into the sea or lake

permeable Having the property or capacity of a porous rock, sediment or soil for transmitting a fluid

permanent water level network Network of permanent operational tide gauge stations that record water levels

photogrammetry The art and science of obtaining reliable measurements from photographic images, especially air photographs, using computer hardware and software to facilitate the task

Pleistocene Relating to or denoting the first epoch of the Quaternary period

point cloud A set of points in the same coordinate system, representing the external surface of an object

Quaternary period The second period of the Cenozoic era, following the Tertiary. It began two to three million years ago and extends to the present

ramp An inclined plane

reflective beach A steep beach that is typically associated with coarser grained sediment

relative sea level The height and position of the sea relative to the land. Relative sea-level changes are caused both by absolute changes of the sea level and by absolute upward and downward movements of the continental crust

retrogressive landslide The retreat of a slide or flow in a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of material

ridge A low, essentially continuous mound of beach or beach-and-dune material heaped up by the action of waves during high-water events and currently in the backshore of a beach, beyond the present reach of ordinary tides, and occurring singly or as one of a series of approximately parallel deposits

rills Small incised channels created from surficial erosion by concentrated water flow

sand A rock fragment or detrital particle having a diameter in the range of 0.0625 to 2 mm; or a loose aggregate of unlithified mineral or rock particles of sand size

sandstone A porous sedimentary rock consisting of grains of sand bound together by such substances as calcium carbonate or silica

scarp An almost vertical slope on a beach, caused by wave erosion. It may range in height from a few centimetres to a few metres, depending on the character of the wave action and the nature and composition of the beach

sediment budget The balance of the sediment added to and removed from a system. A negative sediment budget occurs when more sediment is removed than is added, and a positive sediment budget occurs when more sediment is added than removed

sedimentary rock A rock resulting from the consolidation of loose sediment that has accumulated in layers

shear strength Resisting force acting on a slope

shear stress Gravitational force acting on a slope

sheetwash Unchannelled flow of water over a surface

shore-normal At right angles to the shore

shore water zone Land that is intermittently occupied by water as a result of the naturally fluctuating surface water level in a body of water, which can be either of fresh or salt water

silt A rock fragment smaller than a very fine sand grain and larger than coarse clay, having a diameter in the range of 0.002 to 0.0625 mm; or a loose aggregate of rock particles of silt size

slope movement A term that includes all processes by which soil and rock material fail and are transported downslope by the direct action of gravity

slumping The downward slipping of a mass of rock or unconsolidated material

solifluction The gradual downslope movement of wet soil or other material, especially where frozen subsoil acts as a barrier to the percolation of water.

spit A small point or narrow embankment of land, commonly consisting of sand or gravel deposited by longshore drift and having one end attached to the mainland and the other terminating in open-water, usually the sea

storm surge A change in sea level due to the result of wind stress and changes in atmospheric pressure

substrate The substance, base or nutrient on which, or the medium in which, an organism lives and grows

swash The advance of sea water up a beach after the breaking of a wave

tidal inlet An inlet through which water flows alternately landward with the rising tide, and seaward with the falling tide

tidal range The difference in height between consecutive high water and low water levels at a given location

till Unsorted and unstratified sediment, deposited directly by a glacier without subsequent reworking by meltwater, and consisting of a heterogeneous mixture of clay, silt, sand and gravel, and boulders ranging widely in size and shape

toe The lowest part of the slope or cliff

tombolo A spit connecting the mainland to an island

topography The shape and features of a land surface.

transect A surveyed line along which measurements are made

tropospheric delays The amount of additional transmission time a signal incurs as it passes through the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere from the Earth’s surface to 10 km above the Earth

tsunami A series of waves caused by earthquakes, undersea volcanic eruptions or other disturbance.

unconsolidated Loosely arranged or unstratified, with particles that are not cemented together as they would be in a rock

UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) A pilotless aircraft operated by a remote controller or an onboard computer. A commonly used synonym is “drone”

vegetation line Edge of the zone within which vegetation is growing

washover fan A fan-like deposit consisting of sand washed over a barrier during a storm

weather Conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time (cf. climate)

Wisconsinan Pertaining to the classical fourth glacial stage of the Pleistocene Epoch in North America