COASTAL TERMS

ENJOY CAROLINA’S COASTLINE

OCEANS AND BEACHES

• NCVPS

• MODULE NINE VOCABULARY WITH PICTURES

• COMPILED FOR YOU BY KELLA RANDOLPH

BARRIER ISLAND

BARRIER 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 DUNES

PRIMARY 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