The beach profile is one the most studied features of coastal morphology. The shape of the beach profile determines the vulnerability of the coast to storms, the extent of usable beach for habitat and recreation, and the legal boundary distinguishing public and private ownership of land (Shalowitz 1962, 1964; Anders and Byrnes 1991). The first modern studies of the beach profile were motivated to understand its shape and variability in support of amphibious operations during World War II, when personnel and supply boats had to cross the beach profile from offshore to the dry beach (Bascom 1980).
Beach Profile Terminology
The term “beach profile”refers to a cross-sectional trace of the beach perpendicular to the high-tide shoreline and extends from the backshore cliff or dune to the inner continental shelf or a location where waves and currents do not transport sediment to and from the beach. The profile shape is variable, depending on the time of year within the annual beach cycle and,...
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Kraus, N.C. (2019). Beach Profile. In: Finkl, C.W., Makowski, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93806-6_37
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