Hydrology of the Coastal Zone

Abstract

In the broadest sense, the hydrology of the coastal zone could include the distribution and movement of any water in the coastal zone; however, in practice, this term generally refers to groundwater. A few studies have looked at groundwater movement in coastal barriers, water table fluctuations in estuarine environments and gravel beaches, or sand moisture content effects on aeolian sediment transport. However, most studies of coastal groundwater dynamics have concentrated on groundwater in beaches and, in particular, in the swash zone of sandy beaches. The swash zone is the section of the foreshore where final wave energy dissipation occurs, which is alternately covered and exposed by water motions.