Beach Profile Survey

A beach profile survey is the repeated measurement of beach elevation along a fixed cross-shore line from a landward benchmark down across the foreshore and into the nearshore. Surveyors use level-and-staff, RTK GNSS, or total-station methods, referencing every point to a vertical datum so successive surveys are directly comparable. Differencing the profiles gives erosion or accretion volume, berm and bar position, and the shoreline trend that feeds a sediment budget. The wading portion is often combined with a nearshore bathymetric profile to close the gap to the closure depth. It is the core monitoring tool behind beach-nourishment design and coastal-defense assessment.