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Encyclopedia of Coastal Science pp 290–296Cite as

Beach Ridges

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definitions

Beach ridge is a relict, no more active wave-, often (also)wind-constructed shore ridge, with its long axis generally parallel with the coastline and if part of a strandplain, (also spelled as strand plain or strand-plain) with landward-adjacent similar ridges (Fig. 1). It is built up by berm-overtopping swash. Frequently, it is surmounted by a foredune. Regardless of their dimensions, shapes, and origin, active shore ridges, before becoming inactive (relict) beach ridges, continuously impacted and modified by wave processes, are excluded from the beach ridge designation (Otvos 2000). Once a ridge is isolated from the foreshore zone, often protected and preserved by dune cover or by its coarse sandy-to-gravelly nature, it is separated from daily beach processes by shore progradation and becomes a beach ridge. Shore-parallel dune ridge sets in eolian backshore plains may also form from a line of embryonic dunes behind a still active foredune. Although relict foredunes do...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Coastal Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, MS, USA

    Ervin G. Otvos

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  1. Ervin G. Otvos
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Correspondence to Ervin G. Otvos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Coastal Education and Research Foundation, Asheville, NC, USA

    Charles W. Finkl

  2. Coastal Education and Research Foundation, Coconut Creek, FL, USA

    Christopher Makowski

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Otvos, E.G. (2019). Beach Ridges. 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_39

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