Littoral

Table of Contents

Content Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (other articles)
Article Topics: Ecology, Environmental and resource management, Water and Wetlands
This article has been reviewed and approved by the following Topic Editor: Jim Kundell (other articles)
Last Updated: June 4, 2007

Littoral

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines Littoral as:

  • Of, or pertaining to, a shore, especially a seashore; and
  • Living on, or occurring on, the shore.

Related Terms

Littoral deposits are:

  • Deposits of littoral drift.

Littoral drift is:

  • The sedimentary material moved in the littoral zone under the influence of waves and currents and
  • The mud, sand, or gravel material moved parallel to the shoreline in the nearshore zone by waves and currents.

Littoral transport is:

  • The movement of littoral drift in the littoral zone by waves and currents. It includes movement parallel (long shore drift) and sometimes also perpendicular (that is, cross-shore transport) to the shore.

Littoral transport rate is:

  • The rate of transport of sedimentary material parallel to or perpendicular to the shore in the littoral zone. it is usually expressed in cubic meters (yards) per year. Commonly, it is used as synonymous with longshore transport rate.

Littoral zone is:

  • An indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline to just beyond the breaker zone.
Citation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Content source); Jim Kundell (Topic Editor). 2007. "Littoral." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [Published in the Encyclopedia of Earth June 4, 2007; Retrieved September 7, 2008]. <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Littoral>
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