Coastal engineering

Coastal engineering

A branch of civil engineering that applies engineering principles specifically to projects within the coastal zone including areas nearshore, estuary, marine, and shoreline.

Industry: Engineering

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Coastal engineering

Diurnal inequality

Engineering; Coastal engineering

The difference in height of the two high waters or of the two low waters of each day. Also, the difference in velocity between the two daily flood or ebb currents of each day.

Generating area

Engineering; Coastal engineering

In wave forecasting, the continuous area of water surface over which the wind blows in nearly a constant direction. Sometimes used synonymously with fetch length. Also fetch.

Sand spit

Engineering; Coastal engineering

A narrow sand embankment, created by an excess of deposition at its seaward terminus, with its distal end (the end away from the point of origin) terminating in open water.

Upland

Engineering; Coastal engineering

Dry land area above and landward of the ordinary high water mark (OHWM). Often used as a general term to mean high land far from the coast and in the interior of the country.

Beach berm

Engineering; Coastal engineering

A nearly horizontal part of the beach or backshore formed by the deposit of material by wave action. Some beaches have no berms, others have one or several.

Plunge point

Engineering; Coastal engineering

(1) For a plunging wave, the point at which the wave curls over and falls. (2) The final breaking point of the waves just before they rush up on the beach.

Erosion

Engineering; Coastal engineering

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.