COASTAL TERMS

ENJOY CAROLINA’S COASTLINE

OCEANS AND BEACHES

• NCVPS

• MODULE NINE VOCABULARY WITH PICTURES

• COMPILED FOR YOU BY KELLA RANDOLPH

BARRIER ISLANDBARRIER ISLAND - ELONGATED,

NARROW LANDFORMS COMPOSED OF

SAND AND OTHER LOSE SEDIMENTS

TRANSPORTED BY WAVES, CURRENTS,

AND WINDS.

BATHYMETRICBATHYMETRIC - REFERRING TO THE

BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY.

BEACHBEACH - ZONE OF ACTIVE SAND

MOVEMENT.

BEACH RE-NOURISHMENTBEACH RE-NOURISHMENT - PUMPING

SAND ONTO THE BEACH AND

BUILDING UP FORMER DUNES AND

UPPER BEACH.

DUNE FIELDSDUNE FIELDS - OPEN, BARE-TO-

GRASSY SAND-DUNE AREAS FOUND

BETWEEN THE PRIMARY DUNES AND

THE MARITIME FOREST OR THE

SOUND SIDE OF THE ISLAND.

EROSIONEROSION - THE WEARING AWAY OF

SOIL, SAND, OR ROCK BY THE

INFLUENCE OF WATER, WIND, AND

OTHER FORCES OF NATURE.

ESCARPMENTESCARPMENT - STEEP SLOPE

FOREDUNEFOREDUNE - THE FIRST DUNE

FORMED ON THE BEACH.

GROIN

GROIN - WALL BUILT PERPENDICULAR

TO THE SHORELINE INTENDED TO

TRAP SAND FLOWING IN THE

ALONGSHORE CURRENT.

INLETSINLETS - CHANNELS THAT SEPARATE

ISLANDS AND ARE USUALLY FORMED

DURING HURRICANES OR SEVERE

STORMS.

JETTYJETTY - STRUCTURE INTENDED TO

KEEP SAND FROM FLOWING INTO A

SHIP CHANNEL.

MARSHESMARSHES - PROLIFIC BREEDING

AREAS FOR MANY FISH LOCATED ON

THE SOUND SIDE OF BARRIER

ISLANDS.

MICROBIAL MAT (ALGAL MAT)

MICROBIAL MAT (ALGAL MAT) - AN

ACTIVE BIOGEOCHEMICAL ZONE A

FEW MILLIMETERS THICK AND FOUND

IN MARSHES; PRODUCES ITS OWN

NITROGEN THROUGH A PROCESS OF

NITROGEN FIXATION.

LITTORAL DRIFTLITTORAL DRIFT - MOVEMENT OF

SEDIMENTS.

OVERWASH (FANS)OVERWASH (FANS) - DEVELOP WHEN

WATER, THROWN UP BY WAVES AND

STORM SURGE, FLOWS BETWEEN AND

AROUND DUNES.

PEATPEAT - PARTIALLY DECAYED PLANT

MATERIAL.

PRIMARY DUNESPRIMARY DUNES - THE ROW OF

DUNES CLOSEST TO THE OCEAN;

HOWEVER, A DISTINCT LINE OR ROW

MAY BE ABSENT.

REVETMENTREVETMENT - A STRUCTURE

DESIGNED TO STABILIZE AN ERODING

SHORELINE AND PROTECT AGAINST

STORM WAVE ATTACK.

RUNNELRUNNEL - THE TROUGH BETWEEN

THE BEACH AND THE RIDGE.

SEAWALLSEAWALL - HARD BARRIER DESIGNED

TO RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE FULL

IMPACT OF THE SEA DURING A TIDAL

CYCLE.

SEDIMENTSSEDIMENTS - MATTER OR PARTICLES

DEPOSITED BY WIND AND WATER.

SOUNDSOUND - A CHANNEL OF WATER

BETWEEN THE MAINLAND AND A

BARRIER ISLAND.

SPITSPIT - A POINTED AREA FORMED ON

THE ENDS OF BARRIER ISLANDS BY

TRANSPORTED SEDIMENTS.

COASTAL VOCABULARYTHANKS TO BING ONLINE IMAGES FOR CLIPART