Overwash is the flow of water and sediment over the crest of the beach that does not directly return to the water body (such as ocean, sea, bay or lake; hereafter, ocean) where it originated after water level fluctuations return to normal. There are two kinds of overwash: overwash by runup and overwash by inundation. In the fields of coastal geology and geomorphology, 'overwash' refers to a landward flux of sediment due to overtopping of a dune system.

Washover is the sediment deposited inland of a beach by overwash. Washover can be deposited onto the berm crest or as far as the back barrier bay

Barrier Bay

Barrier Bay is an open bay in the Antarctic coastal angle formed by the coast and the western end of the West Ice Shelf. Charted by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition, 1936–1937, and named by them Barrierevika . Barrier is an obsolete term...

, estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

, or lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

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