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A simple, quasi-steady, one-dimensional, vertical (1DV) model of unsteady sheet flow is presented. The central aim is to provide greater realism in the near-bed, high-concentration layer, than is possible using models based on the classical reference-concentration approach. This is achieved by tracking erosion and deposition at the bottom of the mobile sediment layer in relation to the amount of sediment present in the sheet-flow and suspension layers. The model relies on empirical assumptions for the time-varying sheet-flow layer thickness (δ) and time-varying equivalent bed roughness (ks). The formulations adopted yield realistic instantaneous vertical profiles of velocity and sediment concentration from the stationary bed, through the high-concentration sheet-flow layer up into the outer suspension layer. The suspension layer itself is modelled using a standard k–ϵ turbulence-closure scheme, together with the sediment continuity equation. Matching conditions are applied at the interface between the sheet-flow and suspension layers. Preliminary results presented here include initial validation comparisons with the data set of Horikawa et al. [Horikawa, K., Watanabe, A., Katori, S., 1982. Sediment transport under sheet flow conditions. Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Coastal Engineering, Cape Town. ASCE, Reston VA, USA, 1335–1352.]. Further comparisons with the experiments of Dohmen-Janssen et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 106 (2001) 27103] cover a wide range of wave–current conditions and sand grain sizes. The results are satisfactory with respect to the measured velocity and concentration profiles, apart from cases involving fine sand for which the effects of flow unsteadiness are not accounted for in the formulation. In addition, the new model provides satisfactory predictions of sand transport rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Most existing sediment transport formulae to estimate transport rate in the coastal environment have a restricted range of applicability and are often used beyond this range. The aim of this paper is to investigate the limits of five of these formulae: the Bijker, Bailard, Van Rijn, Dibajnia and Watanabe, and Ribberink formulae. The sensitivity of these formulae to wave orbital velocity, wave period, wave asymmetry, sediment grain size, and steady current has been studied and tested against data for large velocities where significant errors can appear. The formulae behave in very different ways if one of the main parameters is slightly modified, particularly when fine sediments are present and phase-lag effect appears. But important discrepancies between formulae can also be observed for medium sand. At last, the wave-related sediment transport (due to wave asymmetry) has great importance for the morphodynamic and is only accounted for in the Bailard, Dibajnia and Watanabe, and Ribberink formulae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Measurements of the longshore sediment transport rate (LSTR) along the surf zone at a 4-km-long beach on the central west coast of India were made over a 4-month period. During the study, both the lateral and vertical distributions of the sediment transport rate were measured with traps deployed on a line spanning the surf zone. Sediment transport in the swash zone was not considered in the present study. The longshore current was measured at each trap location. The breaking wave parameters were calculated from a directional wave buoy at 16-m water depth. The measured values were compared with those calculated from three selected empirical formulas. The standard coefficient values in the empirical formulas were used without calibration to the data sets. The measured average gross transport was 726 m3/day and that calculated were 1108, 1017, and 781 m3/day based on CERC, Walton and Bruno, and Van Rijn formula. During the data collection 69% of the time, the transport was direct towards north, and in the remaining period, it was direct towards south. The correlation coefficient between the longshore sediment transport rates measured and those calculated by CERC, Walton and Bruno, and Van Rijn formula were 0.38, 0.71, and 0.74, respectively. The average RMS error between the measured and the calculated longshore sediment transport rate based on CERC, Walton and Bruno, and Van Rijn formula were 0.91, 0.57, and 0.47. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Morphodynamic modeling is employed in the present work to predict the long-term evolution (over the next 100 years) of typical sedimentary coasts in the western Russian Arctic. The studied objects are the coasts of Varandey (the Barents Sea), Baydaratskaya Bay and Harasavey (the Kara Sea). The model developed takes into account both the short-term processes (storm events) and long-term factors (for example, changes in sea level, inter-annual variations in gross sediment flux, lack or excess of sediment supply). Predicted and observed morphological changes in coastal profiles are shown to agree well for time scales ranging from weeks to decades. It is revealed that under given environmental conditions, the morphological evolution is strongly influenced by storm surges and associated wind-driven circulation. The water level gradient created by a surge generates a seaward flow at the bed. This outflow is shown to be an important destructive mechanism contributing to the erosion and recession of Arctic coasts. The rate of change is found to depend on both the exposure of the coast (relative to the direction of dominant winds) and its height above the sea. The open coast of Varandey is expected to retreat as much as 300–500 m over 100 years, while recession of the less exposed coasts of Baydaratskaya Bay would not exceed about 100 m/century. If long-term sediment losses are insignificant, the rate of erosion decays with time and the morphodynamic system may tend toward equilibrium. It is concluded that the expected relative sea-level rise (up to 1 m over the nearest 100 years) is non-crucial to the future coastal evolution if an erosion activity is already high enough. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A previously published wave-averaged version of Bailard''s sediment transport formulation, intended for use in a numerical model of shelf sand transport, is compared against available field observations from literature. The objective was to test the performance of the transport relation over the wide range of hydrodynamical conditions that can occur at sea. A modified data analysis method was used to assess the reliability of the field observations. The modification consists of a method to cluster the data into classes to enable statistical analysis. The sediment transport formulation is part of the classification method. The method is in principle also suitable to reduce the size of data sets of non-cohesive sediment transport obtained with modern electronic equipment. The results show that the quality of the published field observations is fair, and that the wave-averaged Bailard formulation performs well for low and medium transport regimes in both currents and waves. For those conditions, it yields a slight overprediction of the transports, and a nearly uniform behaviour as a function of the conditions. The formulation underestimates transport rates for very high flow velocities in absence of waves, which is in agreement with earlier findings. The present version of Bailard''s wave averaged sediment transport formulation is suitable for computing the local transport rates of fine to coarse sand on continental shelves in conditions ranging from small currents to moderate currents combined with non-breaking waves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple method is provided for calculating transport rates of not too fine (d50≥0.20 mm) sand under sheet flow conditions. The method consists of a Meyer-Peter-type transport formula operating on a time-varying Shields parameter, which accounts for both acceleration-asymmetry and boundary layer streaming. While velocity moment formulae, e.g.., Qs=Constant×u∞3, calibrated against U-tube measurements, fail spectacularly under some real waves (Ribberink, J.S., Dohmen-Janssen, C.M., Hanes, D.M., McLean, S.R., Vincent, C., 2000. Near-bed sand transport mechanisms under waves. Proc. 27th Int. Conf. Coastal Engineering, Sydney, ASCE, New York, pp. 3263–3276, Fig. 12), the new method predicts the real wave observations equally well. The reason that the velocity moment formulae fail under these waves is partly the presence of boundary layer streaming and partly the saw-tooth asymmetry, i.e., the front of the waves being steeper than the back. Waves with saw-tooth asymmetry may generate a net landward sediment transport even if u∞3=0, because of the more abrupt acceleration under the steep front. More abrupt accelerations are associated with thinner boundary layers and greater pressure gradients for a given velocity magnitude. The two “real wave effects” are incorporated in a model of the form Qs(t)=Qs[θ(t)] rather than Qs(t)=Qs[u∞(t)], i.e., by expressing the transport rate in terms of an instantaneous Shields parameter rather than in terms of the free stream velocity, and accounting for both streaming and accelerations in the θ(t) calculations. The instantaneous friction velocities u*(t) and subsequently θ(t) are calculated as follows. Firstly, a linear filter incorporating the grain roughness friction factor f2.5 and a phase angle ϕτ is applied to u∞(t). This delivers u*(t) which is used to calculate an instantaneous grain roughness Shields parameter θ2.5(t). Secondly, a constant bed shear stress is added which corresponds to the “streaming related bed shear stress” −ρ(u˜w˜)∞. The method can be applied to any u∞(t) time series, but further experimental validation is recommended before application to conditions that differ strongly from the ones considered below. The method is not recommended for rippled beds or for sheet flow with typical prototype wave periods and d50<0.20 mm. In such scenarios, time lags related to vertical sediment movement become important, and these are not considered by the present model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To determine the effects of grain size and density gradation in oscillatory sheet-flow, experiments are conducted in an oscillating water tunnel. A formal derivation of a schematised transport model shows that the transport rates per sediment fraction can be determined with and without the assumption of an active layer. A technique that measures sediment composition from natural occurring radionuclides is used to determine the transport rates without that assumption of an active layer. The measurements on total sediment transport rates and suspended sediment concentrations show that effects of gradation are present. The effects of size gradation are mainly in the increased transport rates of the coarse fraction with respect to the uniform coarse material and the availability at the bed under similar conditions. The experiments on density graded sediments indicate that total mass-transport rates are larger than the mass-transport rates of quartz material, whilst the transport rates of the quartz fraction show that this fraction is not hindered by the availability at the bed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Temporal and spatial variations of surf-zone currents and suspended sediment concentrations were investigated at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center''s Large-scale Sediment Transport Facility (LSTF). A longshore-uniform fine-sand beach, 35 m alongshore, 20 m cross-shore, and 25 cm thick was placed in the facility for these experiments. Two unidirectional, long-crested irregular wave conditions were examined, one resulted in predominantly spilling breakers and one in plunging breakers. Waves and currents, and sediment concentrations were measured at 20 and 16 Hz, respectively, at various longshore and cross-shore locations and throughout the water column. Both currents and sediment concentrations exhibit great temporal and spatial variations in the surf zone. The variation patterns, however, of the longshore current, cross-shore current, and sediment concentration are substantially different. Caution should be exercised when averaging these parameters over time and space.For the two wave cases examined, the temporal variations of longshore current, including those at principal incident-wave frequencies, were relatively small across most of the surf zone. Over 70% of the variations are within approximately ±60% of the mean value. The wave motion, with a strong peak at principal incident-wave frequencies, dominated the temporal variations of cross-shore current. Temporal variations of suspended sediment concentration under the irregular waves were episodic, characterized by occasional large values induced by suspension events or due to horizontal advection. The variance of the concentration at the peak incident-wave frequency was not significant except very near the bed.Time-averaged longshore-current profiles over the predominantly rippled sand bed were logarithmic in shape below the wave trough. Depth-averaged longshore current (excluding the portion of water column above wave trough) matched well with the current measured at an elevation of 1/3 of the water depth from the bed. Time-averaged cross-shore current profiles were characterized by an onshore mass flux near the surface, and a balancing offshore flow below the wave-trough level (undertow). Sediment concentration decreased very rapidly upward through the water column across most of the surf zone except at the plunging breaker line where relatively homogeneous concentration was measured throughout much of the water column above 4 cm from the bed. Depth-averaged sediment concentration over the range from 1 cm above the bed to the bottom of wave trough roughly equaled the concentration measured at an elevation from the bed equal to 20% of the still-water depth.A reasonable estimate of the time-averaged longshore sediment flux was obtained from the product of time-averaged profiles of longshore current and sediment concentration. Accurate estimates of time-averaged cross-shore sediment flux, however, could not be obtained from the product of time-averaged current and concentration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A combination of remote sensing, field surveys and sedimentological analysis of beach sands is used to assess changes of the shorelines consequent to the construction of a harbour at Damietta on the Nile Delta. The results indicate that harbour construction, and, in particular, the construction of two jetties that extend out from the harbour entrance, have created a discontinuity in the eastward-moving littoral drift. Imagery from Landsat Thematic Mapper provides crude assessments of the rate of up-drift accretion and down-drift erosion of the shorelines, despite the relatively coarse pixel size (30 m) and short time-scale of the monitoring period (1984–1987–1991). Conventional bathymetric surveys highlight changes in the nearshore environment associated with the growth of the updrift accretionary wedge and siltation of the harbour access channel. Beach sediments also provide a record of the changes in erosion and accretion-dominated process domains on both sides of the harbour entrance. The accretionary beaches west of the western jetty having a finer mean grain size with a tendency to poorer sorting skewed to the finer fraction and preferential increase in the assemblage of low-density non-opaque heavy minerals. The beach sands of the erosional shoreline east of the eastern jetty are characterised by coarser mean grain size with a tendency to better sorting skewed to the coarser fraction and heavy mineral assemblages dominated by opaques and high-density non-opaques. The synergistic use of remote sensing, bathymetric surveying and sedimentology provides evidence that changes have affected a much larger area than predicted at the time of harbour construction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sheet flow corresponds to the high velocity regime when small bed ripples are washed out and sand is transported in a thin layer close to the bed. Therefore, it is often assumed that sand transport in oscillatory sheet flow behaves quasi-steady: time-dependent transport rates are assumed to be instantaneously related to the near-bed orbital velocity. However, new experimental results show that even in sheet flow, phase lags between sediment concentration and near-bed velocity can become so large that they lead to a reduction of the net (wave-averaged) transport rate. A phase lag parameter is defined, which shows that phase lags become important for fine sand, high velocities and short wave periods. A semi-unsteady model is developed that includes the effects of phase lags on the net transport rate.New experiments were carried out in a large oscillating water tunnel with three different sands (D50=0.13, 0.21 and 0.32 mm) for a range of prototype, combined wave–current flow conditions. Measured net transport rates were compared with predictions of a quasi-steady model and the new semi-unsteady model. This comparison indicates that net transport rates are reduced if phase lags become important: the quasi-steady model overestimates the net transport rates and the semi-unsteady model gives better agreement with the data. Time-dependent measurements of velocities and concentrations show that the reduced net transport rates can indeed be explained by phase lag effects, because for tests with smaller net transport rates than predicted by the quasi-steady model, considerable phase lags between velocities and concentrations were observed, even inside the sheet flow layer. Verification of the semi-unsteady model against a larger data set confirms the occurrence of phase lag effects in oscillatory sheet flow. Also for the larger data set the semi-unsteady model yields better agreement with the data than the quasi-steady model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A series of model intercomparisons, and model comparisons with field data, was carried out as part of the EU MASTIII SEDMOC Project (1998–2001). Initially, seven ‘research’ models were intercompared over a wide range of wave and current conditions, corresponding to both plane and rippled sand beds. These models included both one-dimensional vertical (1DV) formulations, varying in complexity from eddy viscosity and mixing length models to a full two-phase flow formulation, and also 2DV formulations capable of representing vortex shedding above sand ripples. The model results showed greatest convergence for cases involving plane beds, with predicted sand transport rates agreeing to well within an order of magnitude, and greatest divergence for cases involving rippled beds. A similar intercomparison involving (mainly) practical sand transport models, carried out over wide wave and current parameter ranges, also showed greatest variability in cases involving rippled beds. Finally, (mainly) practical models were compared with field data obtained at five contrasting field sites. The results showed that suspended sand concentrations in the bottom metre of the flow were predicted within a factor of 2 of the measured values in 13% to 48% of the cases considered, and within a factor of 10 in 70% to 83% of the cases, depending upon the model used. Estimates of the measured longshore component of suspended sand transport yielded agreement to within a factor of 2 in 22% to 66% of cases, and within a factor of 10 in 77% to 100% of cases. The results suggest that, at the present stage of research, considerable uncertainty should be expected if untuned models are used to make absolute predictions for field conditions. The availability of some measurements on site still appears to be a necessary requirement for high-accuracy sand transport predictions. However, for morphological modellers, the results may be viewed as more encouraging, since many of the present models exhibit agreement in their relative behaviour over wide ranges of wave and current conditions, which is a prerequisite to obtaining correct morphodynamic predictions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A coastal area morphological modelling system is used to investigate the planform development (tombolo or salient) behind a single surface-piercing detached breakwater. A quasi three-dimensional (Q3D) description of the flow and the sediment transport, together with a revised bed level update scheme, were incorporated recently in the morphological modelling suite applied in the present investigation. The Q3D sediment transport formulation used allows simulating beach profile evolution and planform development simultaneously. Several breakwater layouts were investigated in a series of tests, in which the incident wave condition was taken as constant in time. The investigation was done for surface-piercing, shore-parallel breakwaters in a non-tidal environment. The morphological simulation results for the planform shape agree qualitatively with field observations and predictions from empirical rules. Using the simulation results, simple design curves for surface-piercing breakwaters are derived.The importance of properly accounting for the influence of wave diffraction when modelling sediment transport and morphology in the vicinity of shore-parallel structures is also investigated.The present paper summarises much of the work performed at DHI Water & Environment over the past 10 years within the field of coastal area morphological modelling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The dominant hydrodynamic forcing and resulting sediment transport mechanisms in the swash zone are reviewed, combined with a discussion of future measurement and modelling requirements. The importance of swash zone processes in the overall behaviour of the nearshore littoral zone are identified, with the paper subsequently focusing on aspects that directly relate to sediment transport on beaches. The review considers analytical and numerical modelling work, and both field and laboratory data. The hydrodynamics of the swash zone are first discussed with reference to the surf zone boundary, swash characteristics, forcing mechanisms and shoreline oscillations. Subsequent sections consider more micro-scale processes such as the internal flow kinematics, turbulence, the bed boundary layer and infiltration/exfiltration through permeable beds. The second part of the paper outlines the fundamental mechanics of sediment transport in the swash zone, followed by a more detailed discussion of sediment transport modes induced by the dominant hydrodynamic conditions. Modelling concepts are reviewed, and the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches identified. A final summary and future modelling perspectives conclude the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Experimental and numerical analyses have been used to assess the validity and potentialities of the integral swash zone model by Brocchini and Peregrine (Proc. Coastal Dynamics ''95, ASCE 1 (1996) 221) which is extended to include seabed friction effects previously neglected. Applications of the model to experimental data show it represents a simple and useful tool for modelling swash zone flows. The model allows for computation of integral swash zone properties and shoreline motion from local variables defined at the seaward limit of the swash. For most properties, correlation between local and integral properties is very good (correlation coefficient about 0.80).A suitable parametric form of frictional forces in the swash zone is defined on the basis of both experimental data and analytical investigation. Numerical tests showed that the proposed parameterization models well integral frictional forces within the swash zone. The parametric friction force improves capabilities of the integral swash zone model of representing real swash motions. This is particularly evident when considering the momentum equation: the correlation coefficient between the rate of change of the onshore momentum in the swash zone and its forcings increases from about 0.85 to about 0.95 due to the inclusion of the seabed friction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the past few years, two-phase models have been developed to describe the detail behaviour of fluid/sediment interactions and transport under the sheet flow conditions. Due to the complexity of the governing equations and uncertainties in the formulations of various stress terms, few complete solutions of these equations are known and the validations are thus far limited to only a few experimental data. In this paper, the numerical predictions of the behaviour of sheet flows using an improved version of an earlier two-phase flow model [Coastal Eng. 36(2) (1999) 87] are described. Although the general structure of the model was retained, a number of improvements had been made to give better account the underlying physics of the flow in areas very close to the stationary bed. All key flow parameters have been predicted and analysed in order to gain insight into the processes. Calculated time-dependent as well as time-averaged concentrations are compared with experimental data from purely oscillatory flows and oscillatory flow plus a current. Good qualitative agreements between predictions and measurements were achieved for the time-dependent concentrations while the time-averaged concentrations are quantitatively accurate as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Time series of vertical sediment fluxes are derived from concentration time series in sheet flow under waves. While the concentrations C(z,t) vary very little with time for &z.sfnc;z&z.sfnc;<10d50, the measured vertical sediment fluxes Qzs(z,t) vary strongly with time in this vertical band and their time variation follows, to some extent, the variation of the grain roughness Shields parameter θ2.5(t). Thus, sediment distribution models based on the pickup function boundary condition are in some qualitative agreement with the measurements. However, the pickup function models are only able to model the upward bursts of sediment during the accelerating phases of the flow. They are, so far, unable to model the following strong downward sediment fluxes, which are observed during the periods of flow deceleration. Classical pickup functions, which essentially depend on the Shields parameter, are also incapable of modelling the secondary entrainment fluxes, which sometimes occur at free stream velocity reversal. The measured vertical fluxes indicate that the effective sediment settling velocity in the high [(0.3

It is shown that the observed difference in sediment transporting efficiency by the swash uprush, compared with the downrush, could be mainly due to greater bed shear stress for a given velocity in the more abruptly accelerated uprush. The bed shear stress generated by an arbitrary free stream velocity time series is modelled in terms of usual wave boundary layer models plus a phase lead ϕτ of the bed shear stress compared with the free stream velocity at the peak frequency. With this approach, the total transport amounts in uprush and downrush can be modelled satisfactorily with the same sediment transport formula, without the need for different uprush and downrush coefficients. While the adaptation of sediment transport formulae from steady flow can thus lead to the right total amounts of sediment moved by this method, the timing of the instantaneous sediment transport rates are probably not accurately modelled due to the highly unsteady nature of the swash and the presence of pre-suspended sediment in the uprush. Nevertheless, the proposed method is a useful intermediate step before we have a complete understanding of sediment transport under very rapid accelerations and of the relative contribution of pre-suspended sediment to the onshore sediment transport in swash zones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study is focused on sand transport in combined wave–current flow (at any angle between them) in the intensive flow regime. The present model is based on the 1DV approximation. The mathematical method for the continuous description of processes from the immobile bed to the formation of sheet flow and suspended load is presented. The way of modelling of sediment–flow interaction is proposed, in which the near-bed flow is divided into three layers, as done previously by Kaczmarek and Ostrowski [Kaczmarek, L.M., Ostrowski, R., 1998. Modelling of a three-layer sediment transport system in oscillatory flow. Proc. 26th ICCE, ASCE, 2559–2572] for pure oscillatory flow. Measured by Katopodi et al. [Katopodi, I., Ribberink, J.S., Ruol, P., Lodahl, C., 1994. Sediment transport measurements in combined wave–current flows. Proc. Coastal Dynamics ''94, ASCE, 837–851] and Dohmen-Janssen [Dohmen-Janssen, M., 1999. Grain size influence on sediment transport in oscillatory flow. FEBODRUK BV, ISBN 90-9012929-4, Enschede, The Netherlands], the time-averaged velocity profiles are compared with results provided by the present model for the respective conditions. The laboratory data of combined wave–current flow were further used to compare the model results for instantaneous and time-averaged concentration in the bedload (pick-up) layer and the contact load (upper sheet flow) layer, as well as for net sediment transport rate in the case of unidirectional (γ=0) wave–current interaction. The model cases for non-zero wave–current angle were tested in the context of longshore sediment transport rate against field radio-isotopic tracer data of Lubiatowo (Poland) by Pruszak and Zeidler [Pruszak, Z., Zeidler, R.B., 1994. Sediment transport in various time scales. Proc. 24th ICCE, ASCE, 2513–2526] and field luminescent tracer data of Ancao Peninsula (Portugal), by Balouin and Howa [Balouin, Y., Howa, H., 2000. Correspondence contact with University of Bordeaux].Generally, the agreement between the model results and the experimental data was found satisfactory in the context of the apparent roughness and time-averaged velocity profiles above the bed boundary layer. Further, the anti-phase behaviour of measured bedload concentration with respect to sediment concentration in the contact load layer and the asymmetric effects resulting from wave–current interaction are well represented by the model. Consequently, the present theoretical approach provides a useful tool for predictions of sand transport under wave–current flow within an accuracy factor of 1.5 either way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Haringvliet estuary is part of the Dutch Delta coast. Since 1950, several large coastal engineering projects have been carried out in the Haringvliet area. The most important of these is the closure of the estuary by the construction of a dam with sluices (finished in 1970). Land reclamation projects of the Maasvlakte (1964–1976) and the so-called Slufter (1986–1987) have also been carried out. These projects have profoundly affected the hydrodynamics and therefore the morphology of the area. New interventions are under discussion and to be able to predict their impact on the morphology, it is necessary to understand the morphological developments caused by the past interventions. In this study, the development with time of the sand volume in the Haringvliet estuary after closure has been studied using bathymetric measurements of the years 1970, 1972, 1979, 1980, 1986 and 1990 until 1999. The changes in sand volume above NAP (Dutch Ordnance Level) −10 m relative to 1970 have been determined. The area in which these volumes have been calculated had to be chosen very carefully to diminish the effects of all other human interventions. As was expected, the estuary shows sedimentation. It could be concluded that the adaptation time scale is about 11 years and that the equilibrium volume has almost been reached in the year 2000. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although seagrass canopies are known to enhance particle sedimentation, there is still limited knowledge about how seagrasses modify the vertical distribution of sediment particles; especially when particles come from allochthonous sources. This study determined the volume of particles trapped by the seagrass leaves, the amount that remains in suspension both within and above the canopy, and the amount deposited onto the seabed. A set of laboratory experiments were conducted in which hydrodynamic conditions and canopy densities were varied to mimic real field conditions. This study demonstrated and quantified previously recorded observations concerning the fate of sediment in seagrass meadows. Seagrass meadows decreased the amount of suspended sediment by capturing the sediment on the blades of the seagrass and by enhancing particle sedimentation on the seabed. However, particles trapped by the blades of seagrass in the whole canopy increased with canopy density and reduced the number of particles in suspension within the canopy. The ecological implications were significant, since a seabed covered by vegetation, when compared to a bare seabed, produced a reduction in the suspended sediment particles within the canopy, improving water clarity. Furthermore, canopies (compared to bare substrates) enhanced seabed sedimentation and the denser the canopy was, the greater the amount of sediment deposited on the seabed. • Seagrasses modify the amount of sediment deposited on the seabed. • Canopy density controls the amount of both suspended and leaves deposited sediment. • Trapping of sediment by leaves depends on the particle size for covers above 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing pressures on coastal environments induced by sea level rise and coastal squeeze has meant that tracking the morphological evolution of sedimentary coasts from the last known survey, pre-empting storm impacts and forecasting potential beach recovery following extreme events is of substantial and increasing societal importance. Equilibrium models for forecasting coastal evolution have figured prominently in the literature in the past two decades and show a strong potential for fulfilling this societal need. In particular some very skilful shoreline evolution models have been proposed based on equilibrium concepts. These models are stable, simple and permit long-term (O(10) years) predictions of coastal change. However, equilibrium models are typically highly empirical and in many cases do not consider explicitly the impact of dynamic sea level, which is modulated by tides, surge and global sea level rise. Equilibrium-based models of shoreline evolution have shown particular promise, but these models generally do not consider the role of the sub- and supra-tidal morphology on coastal evolution (e.g. the importance of coastal dune systems). This contribution presents a new model for For ecasting C oastal E volution (ForCE), which addresses these issues. The model algorithm adopts a reduced complexity but fundamentally physics-based approach, whilst maintaining equilibrium principles. Unlike, most prior models, the sub- and supra-tidal areas are represented explicitly in the model, as are sea level variations. Sediment transport is equated directly with the disequilibrium in wave energy dissipation flux, leading to a sediment transport formulation that negates the normal intermediate step of computing surfzone currents, generally required in process models. Two components of sediment transport are considered: The first is forced by the turbulent kinetic energy associated with wave breaking and the second diffusive term, is related to a sea bed-slope disequilibrium. The first component perturbs the equilibrium profile and dominates in the surfzone, whilst that latter component plays an important role in beach recovery. Equations are developed for a depth-averaged, beach profile model, assuming longshore uniformity. These computational efficient and stable equations facilitate long forecasts (>decade) and easy comparisons with a field data at cross-shore transport dominated field sites. At the test field site, the model is capable of reproducing qualitative observations of nearshore sand-bar dynamics and quantitative comparisons with measured coastal state indicators including both the shoreline displacement (r = 0.90, N.M.S.E. = 0.145) and intertidal beach volume (r = 0.87). • Days to decades prediction of coastal evolution • Accurate predictions of storm erosion & post-storm beach recovery • Skilful long-term prediction of beach volume and shoreline change & bar-dynamics • Explicit consideration sub- and supra-tidal topography & water level • Stable, efficient, equilibrium model suitable for longterm probabilistic forecasts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at improving the XBeach model in predicting dune erosion in the presence of belowground (land-based) biomass under varying hydrodynamic conditions. In this regard, the XBeach model was extended by a literature-derived root model, which increases the critical velocity for erosion in user-defined areas due to additional root cohesion. The model was validated by using the results of a small-scale wave flume experiment as a basis, where the presence of belowground biomass reduced the measured dune erosion. Control runs considering an exclusively sand-based dune, which served as a comparison in the physical experiment, were used to setup and calibrate a one-dimensional (1D) XBeach model. Due to the application to small-scale, default parameters related to sediment transport were scaled within the scope of calibration. Results showed that the XBeach model is not capable to reproduce the observed control dune profiles satisfactorily for all hydrodynamic conditions. Subsequently, the calibrated model was applied to the physical model runs with belowground biomass. Regardless of the hydrodynamic conditions, applying the root model led to a decrease in the mean sediment concentrations and, in turn, the model-predicted erosion in the vegetated area was mainly driven by avalanching. As a result, erosion volumes were reduced in the vegetated area and a higher agreement with the measurements was achieved. At this stage, the root model is highly simplified and only validated for collision at small-scale. In this regard, the translation of the model setup to field scale would eliminate the need for parameter scaling and could result in an overall better performance of the default model. Further research should address the influence of belowground biomass on the time evolution of dune failure and avalanching. • Novel approach to consider effect of belowground biomass on dune erosion volumes. • XBeach model extension and 1D-modelling of small-scale wave flume experiment. • Novel root model increases critical velocity for erosion in user-defined areas. • Accounting for belowground biomass improves erosion volume estimates considerably. • Large underprediction of overwash volumes due to general model-data mismatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sandy environments, like the beach-dune system, buildings not only affect the airflow, but also the aeolian sediment transport in their surroundings. In this study, we determine how the horizontal size of sediment deposition patterns around buildings depends on the building's dimensions. Four one-day experiments were conducted at the beach using box-shaped scale models. We tested 32 building geometries, where scale model height, width and length ranged between 0.3 and 2.0 m. The deposition patterns were substantial in size: the total length and width of the deposition area were up to an order of magnitude larger than the horizontal building dimensions. It was found that the size of upwind and downwind deposition patterns depended more on the building width perpendicular to the wind direction (w), than on the building height (h). Building length had little influence. Especially the combined effect of w and h correlated well with horizontal deposition size. This is expressed in a new scaling length B for deposition around buildings, with B = w 2 / 3 · h 1 / 3. As a first validation, the spatial dimensions of the initial deposition patterns observed around a scale model of 2.5 × 12 × 2.5 m, placed at the beach for five weeks, showed good agreement with those predicted based on B. • Outdoor scale experiments successfully captured aeolian sand dynamics. • Horizontal deposition dimensions can be ten times larger than the building dimensions. • Building width and height determine the horizontal size of deposition patterns. • A characteristic building length scale links building size to aeolian deposition size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performances of phase-averaged parametric nearshore wave transformation models depend significantly on a reliable estimate of the wave breaker index γ (the breaker height-to-depth ratio), a free model parameter that essentially controls the amount of breaking energy dissipation. While the previous studies have suggested separate relationships between γ and the offshore wave steepness (s 0) or the normalized local water depth (kh), the parameterization of γ still requires further investigation considering a wider variety of conditions and a sounder physical basis. In this study, we use the field datasets of wave height and the inverse modelling approach to reveal a composite dependence of γ on both s 0 and kh. Specifically, the results show a positive dependence of γ on kh for larger s 0 , and a negative dependence of γ on kh for smaller s 0. Based on such composite relationships, a new γ formula is proposed, and its performance is verified against the available datasets of wave height in three coasts and 14 laboratory tests. Implementation of this new formula in a parametric wave model leads to the error reduction of wave height prediction by 10–24% (mean = 19%) relative to seven widely used models in literatures. In particular, a remarkably higher model accuracy is obtained under wave conditions with small offshore wave steepness, which is important for studying onshore sediment transport and beach recovery. Two counteractive physical mechanisms for wave nonlinearity effects, namely the breaking intensification mechanism and the breaking resistance mechanism, are suggested to explain the opposite γ - kh relationships within different ranges of s 0. • The composite dependence of wave breaker index on both the offshore wave steepness and the normalized local water depth. • A new formula for wave breaker index used for parametric wave transformation modelling leads to improved wave height prediction especially under wave conditions with small offshore wave steepness. • Two counteractive physical mechanisms to explain the composite relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-hydrostatic phase-resolving numerical model (SWASH) is used to investigate the wave-driven nearshore hydrodynamics corresponding to new observations from a three-dimensional physical model in a wave basin. In the physical model, waves from a passing storm are simulated by varying the energy and duration of waves generated by a paddle over time and the beach morphology is surveyed in high spatial-resolution using a 3D laser scanner after each segment of the storm. An oblique incident wave angle introduces spatially variability in wave energy along the beach and results in morphologic differences during the storm, with active transport of beach sand by the wave-driven circulation. SWASH is validated using wave and current observations at each stage of the storm, indicating low root-mean-squared errors between model results and wave measurements, where the high-resolution model is able to predict wave shoaling, breaking and generation of the alongshore current. Model-data agreement is not as high for the velocity, suggesting spatial variability in bottom friction and horizontal mixing, and evolution of the bed in the physical model, could explain the differences. The detailed numerical model results indicate that the alongshore current is generated by wave breaking in the nearshore zone, and it increases in speed across a wider surf zone for increasing wave energy during the storm. This is associated with a bottom shear stress that exceeds the critical bed shear stress, with the potential to initiate motion and transport sediment in agreement with the experimental observations. • A physical model is implemented in a wave basin with a long and steep sandy beach. • Wave energy is varied over time to simulate a passing storm. • Wave breaking generates an alongshore current that induces morphologic change. • Phase-resolving simulations of nearshore hydrodynamics are run for storm phases. • Results improve understanding of nearshore circulation and bed shear stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we addressed the potential impact of climate change on coastal erosion along the 28 beaches of the Basque Coast (150 km). A shoreline evolution model including cross-shore and alongshore sediment transport formulations, short- and long-term processes and hard structure treatment is developed. The historical analysis of the shoreline evolution is performed by forcing the model with waves and storm surges from reanalysis data, and with tides from in situ water level measurements. The model is calibrated and validated by using morphological information derived from the KostaSystem coastal video monitoring system. The analysis of the future impact of climate change on the sandy beaches is carried out using two sea level projections (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios) and their confidence intervals, combined with synthetic wave series that allowed a probabilistic fashion outcome. The results show that the shoreline mean erosion due to both short- and long-term processes is in the range of 10–45 m under the RCP 4.5 scenario and 14–66 m under RCP 8.5 by the year 2100, which indicate the great vulnerability of the beaches of the Basque Coast. Still, the response of the studied systems is highly variable, owing to the intrinsic characteristic of each site. This result points to the difficulty of taking general management measures and highlights the need for management strategies at the local level. • A shoreline evolution model suitable for urban beaches is set up along the sandy systems of the Basque Coast. • The model outcome is validated against the data obtained from a video monitoring system and handled in a probabilistic way. • A new climate change beach impact indicator (beach recovery potential loss) is analysed. • Shoreline mean erosion is in the range of 10–45 m under the RCP 4.5 scenario and 14–66 m under RCP 8.5 by the year 2100. • Results point to the need of local management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many places, sandy coastlines and their associated assets are at high risk of erosion and flooding, with this risk increasing under climate change and sea level rise. In this context, dynamic cobble berm revetments represent a potentially sustainable protection technique to armour sandy beaches, reduce wave runup and protect the hinterland against wave attack. However, the behaviour and performance of such structures is not well understood. The dynamic cobble berm revetment located in North Cove, WA, USA, was monitored over a spring tidal cycle in January 2019. A representative 60 m alongshore section was monitored over 10 days using 2D laser scanner (lidar) measurements, GPS ground elevation surveys, Radio Frequency Identification of individual cobbles and revetment thickness measurements. These data were used together to assess the dynamic behaviour and functionality of the revetment throughout the experiment. Over the course of the experiment, the surface elevation changed by up to ±0.5 m, and the revetment volume reduced by an average 0.67 m3/m. These changes were found to be caused by relatively large significant wave height and high water levels. The revetment demonstrated a dynamic stability and the capacity to quickly reshape under changing hydrodynamic conditions. The instrumented cobbles were transported along and cross-shore and accumulated at the toe of the revetment, but were never transported seaward of the toe. The revetment also managed to recover some of the lost volume under moderate wave conditions. The revetment behaviour was found to be influenced by variation in the cobble-sand matrix. The underlying sand dynamics – i.e. , accumulation or removal of sand within the cobbles – were found to govern the overall volume changes and were important to the overall stability of the revetment. Seven possible transport regimes were identified, and a model of the internal sand dynamics was developed. During the spring tidal cycle measured here, the revetment protected the sand scarp immediately landward and prevented flooding of the hinterland, while armouring the underlying sand. Over time, renourishment will likely be required due to longshore sediment transport, and preliminary guidelines for this and other aspects of design are suggested. • A field experiment was undertaken on a dynamic cobble berm revetment in North Cove, US. • The revetment showed a dynamic stability and a rapid adaptability to external forcing. • The water level at the toe of the structure appeared to be the primary driver of change. • A novel model highlighting the importance of internal sand dynamic was created. • Guidelines are proposed for design and nourishment of the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along much of the world's coastline, coastal barriers serve as the first line of defense against oceanic and meteorological forces. Extreme storms cause large morphological changes on coastal barriers through high sediment transport rates, which may degrade their defensive capabilities. The understanding of morphological impacts is therefore important for coastal resiliency, but is often challenged by site-specific characteristics, such as land cover and sediment availability, and their poorly understood impacts on the governing physical processes. The Caminada Headlands, Louisiana, USA presents unique considerations for morphodynamic modeling with regard to its low-lying topography, variable land cover, nearshore muddy substrate and sand deficiency. This study investigates the effects of land cover and limited sediment supply on low-lying barrier island morphology under storm conditions by using physics-based numerical models. A high-resolution, local-scale sediment transport/morphodynamic model (XBeach) of the Caminada Headlands is verified for Hurricane Gustav's (2008) impact using pre- and post-storm LIDAR surveys. When accurate input data are used to create physics-based numerical models these tools are robust in hindcasting storm impacts and provide a wealth of information as to the governing processes, which is otherwise difficult to obtain observationally. The simulation results show that a short-duration overwash regime dominates the morphological change in this low-lying barrier and is influenced by backbarrier wetland deterioration. The morphological response to overwash is modulated by backbarrier land cover and topography, as reduced accommodation space limits landward transport during the subsequent inundation regime. An intact backbarrier marsh reduces landward washover sediment transport distances and promotes deposition at supratidal elevations. In light of these findings, simultaneous restoration/creation of backbarrier wetlands in conjunction with subaerial beach renourishment may be an effective form of increasing the resiliency of low-lying barriers subject to frequent overwashing. • A basin-scale hydrodynamic-wave and local-scale sediment transport model constructed for barrier washover simulations. • A hindcast of Hurricane Gustav's (2008) hydrodynamics and morphological impact to Louisiana verified with multiple data. • A relationship between storm-driven washover sediment transport and backbarrier wetland land cover/topography investigated. • Limited nearshore sand sediment supply influences the accuracy of storm-driven washover sediment transport modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A man-made dune-beach-spit system at the south-east side of the island of Texel (Prins Hendrik site) has been built in 2018–2019 to strengthen the traditional dike. The core of the dune-beach-spit system consists of medium fine sand with a d 50 of 0.25–0.3 mm. The beach is covered with an armour (protection) layer of coarse materials with relatively large gravel and shell fractions to reduce wind erosion and thus maintenance costs. In the design phase of the project the aeolian sand transport model of Bagnold was used to estimate the long-term erosion losses of sand at the new dune-beach system. This transport model was validated in the design phase by using detailed sand transport and bed roughness measurements at a nearby site called The Hors. This site is a wide natural beach plain of sand (d 50 = 0.23 mm), where 147 high-quality datasets have been collected using a wind mast equipped with 5 cup anemometers and various sand traps. It is shown that the measured sand transport rates at the Hors can be reasonably well represented by the modified Bagnold-equation for dry sand. After completion of the new dune-beach system, a field experiment was performed at the Prins Hendrik site to verify the sediment transport predictions and erosion loss of sand. Data from two permanent wind masts and one short, mobile wind mast were used to derive the effective roughness of (stationary) bed forms. Sand transport rates were measured at various locations using a new trap sampler. The measured sediment transport in the armoured beach zone can be reasonably well represented by the Bagnold-equation using a multi-fraction approach with hiding-exposure coefficient. The predicted transport rates have been used to estimate the annual loss of sand from the Prins-Hendrik site. • Aeolian transport in conditions with sand, gravel, shells and bed forms is studied on Texel, the Netherlands. • Using the measured overall shear velocity leads to overprediction of transport rates. • Using a multi-fraction approach, transport rates in armoured conditions can be reasonably well predicted. • Transport rates on a sandy beach can be significantly reduced (factor 3 to 4) by the placement of an armour layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of models are available for science and engineering purposes that numerically simulate nearshore hydrodynamics and the corresponding morphological evolution. However, the models include adjustable coefficients in parameterizations for physical processes that need to be calibrated, and thus there remains room for improvement by including additional physics. One such model is XBeach, which can simulate erosion during storms with proper calibration based on observations. The modeled sediment transport, especially in the cross-shore direction, is sensitive to the adjustable coefficients, with preferred values that are site and event specific. Here, the skill of XBeach is investigated by comparing 1-dimensional (cross-shore) depth-averaged simulations with observations of waves, currents, and sandbar migration across an Atlantic Ocean beach. Calibration of coefficients improved the agreement of the computed results with observed wave heights, offshore-directed mean currents (undertow), the wave-orbital-velocity third moments (skewness and asymmetry), and onshore/offshore sandbar migration although the proposed coefficient values depend on the parameterizations used. For example, including a variable breaking-wave roller energy model resulted in more skillful predictions of undertow than using the default constant coefficient value. Using the calibrated roller coefficients and corresponding undertow, XBeach simulated the observed offshore migration of the sandbar. Onshore transport in XBeach is driven by non-sinusoidal wave-orbital velocities, and proposed values for coefficients depend on the parameterization used to estimate skewness and asymmetry and the associated transport, as well as on incident wave conditions. XBeach calculations of cross-shore sediment transport rates were compared with those estimated by a commonly used sediment transport formula based on laboratory experiments. The inter-comparison suggests that using a wave-induced onshore transport parameter 3 or 4 times larger than the default value may at least in part compensate for the lack of bottom-boundary-layer-streaming-driven-onshore transport in XBeach. • XBeach is successfully applied to simulate onshore and offshore sandbar migration. • Revised roller dissipation model improved undertow prediction in the bar region. • The calibrated onshore transport depends on the modeled wave skewness/asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]