General equations

x_o = tan b (H_o/L_o) ^-0.5

L_o = gT²/2p

Definition of variables

b = angle of beach slope

tan b = beach slope

d_s = depth fronting slope

d_sw = median grain size in mm of sediment in swash zone

d_sr = median grain size in mm of sediment in swash zone

g = gravitational acceleration

H = wave height

H_o = deep water wave height

H_orms = root mean square deep water wave height

H_so = significant deep water wave height

L = wavelength

L_o = deep water wavelength

L_zwm = vertical scale for Rayleigh distributed wave runup values (Nielsen and Hanslow, 1991)

N_o = surf zone fall velocity parameter

R = mean runup for irregular waves or runup for regular waves

R_2% = two percent wave runup

T = wave period

w_sr  = fall velocity of median size sediment in surf zone

x_o = Iribarren number or surf similarity parameter