EM 1110-2-1100 (Change 1)
31 Jul 03
LITTORAL
Of or pertaining to a shore, especially of the sea. Often used as a general term for the coastal zone influenced by
wave action, or, more specifically, the shore zone between the high and low water marks.
LITTORAL CELL
A reach of the coast that is isolated sedimentologically from adjacent coastal reaches and that features its own
sources and sinks. Isolation is typically caused by protruding headlands, submarine canyons, inlets, and some river mouths
that prevent littoral sediment from one cell to pass into the next. Cells may range in size from a multi-hundred meter
POCKET BEACH in a rocky coast to a BARRIER ISLAND many tens of kilometers long.
See CURRENT, LITTORAL.
LITTORAL DEPOSITS
Deposits of littoral drift.
LITTORAL DRIFT, LITTORAL TRANSPORT
The movement of beach material in the littoral zone by waves and currents. Includes movement parallel (long shore
drift) and sometimes also perpendicular (cross-shore transport) to the shore.
LITTORAL TRANSPORT RATE
Rate of transport of sedimentary material parallel or perpendicular to the shore in the littoral zone. Usually
expressed in cubic meters (cubic yards) per year. Commonly synonymous with LONGSHORE TRANSPORT RATE.
LITTORAL ZONE
In beach terminology, an indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline to just beyond the breaker zone.
LOAD
The quantity of sediment transported by a current. It includes the suspended load of small particles and the BED
LOAD of large particles that move along the bottom.
LONG WAVES
Waves with periods above about 30 seconds; can be generated by wave groups breaking in the surf zone. See also
INFRAGRAVITY WAVES.
LONGSHORE
Parallel to and near the shoreline; ALONGSHORE.
LONGSHORE BAR
A sand ridge or ridges, running roughly parallel to the shoreline and extending along the shore outside the trough,
that may be exposed at low tide or may occur below the water level in the offshore.
LONGSHORE CURRENT
See CURRENT, LONGSHORE.
LONGSHORE DRIFT
Movement of (beach) sediments approximately parallel to the coastline.
LONGSHORE TRANSPORT RATE
See LITTORAL TRANSPORT RATE.
LONGSHORE TROUGH
An elongate DEPRESSION or series of depressions extending along the lower BEACH or in the offshore zone
inside the BREAKERS.
Appendix A Glossary of Coastal Terminology
A-45
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