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Beach Morphology Monitoring Program
Beach Profiles
This graphic shows three beach profiles from PC068, summer 1997, winter 1998 and summer 1998. The beach profiles begin landward of the primary dune, extend over the dune crest and continue seaward to approximately Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). The seaward extent of the profiles varies because profiles collected during periods of high wave conditions (fall and winter profiles) limit the depth to which data can be safely obtained. The summer 1998 profile (green line) includes two sandbars, with crests located 225 m and 350 m from the profile origin, and their associated troughs located 200 m and 325 m from the origin. These bars are typically located between MLLW and Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) during the summer and are termed swash bars to distinguish them from the larger-scale sandbars located in deeper water. A berm, another feature associated with a summer beach profile, is located at a cross-shore position of approximately -180 m. The winter 1998 profile (yellow line) illustrates that as the seasonal cycle continues, winter storms remove the berm and swash bars from the upper beach face, depositing the sediment in offshore sandbars.
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