1. The Effects of Tidal Translation on Wave and Current Dynamics on a Barred Macrotidal Beach, Northern France
- Author
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Adrien Cartier, François G. Schmitt, and Arnaud Héquette
- Subjects
macrotidal beaches ,Infragravity wave ,Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering ,VM1-989 ,Ocean Engineering ,north coast of France ,GC1-1581 ,Shoaling and schooling ,breaker index ,Oceanography ,Translation (geometry) ,Horizontal translation ,wave spectral analysis ,Water level ,Current (stream) ,barred beaches ,Wave transformation ,Spatial variability ,coastal hydrodynamics ,Geomorphology ,Geology ,Water Science and Technology ,Civil and Structural Engineering - Abstract
Barred macrotidal beaches are affected by continuous horizontal displacements of different hydrodynamic zones associated with wave transformation (shoaling, breaker and surf zones) due to significant tide-induced water level changes. A series of wave and current meters, complemented by a video imagery system, were deployed on a barred beach of northern France during a 6-day experiment in order to characterize the spatial and temporal variability of wave-induced processes across the beach. Wave and current spectral analyses and analyses of cross-shore current direction and asymmetry resulted in the identification of distinct hydrodynamic processes, including the development of infragravity waves and offshore-directed flows in the breaker and surf zones. Our results revealed a high spatial variability in the hydrodynamic processes across the beach, related to the bar-trough topography, as well as significant variations in the directions and intensity of cross-shore currents at fixed locations due to the horizontal translation of the different hydrodynamic zones resulting from continuous changes in water level due to tides.
- Published
- 2021
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