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Near estuaries and harbours, submerged shoals and defence structures impact the exposure to overtopping. These features may be accounted for in two-dimensional horizontal (2DH) numerical models, either based on phase-resolving or phase-average solvers for wave propagation. In between, surfbeat solvers, such as in XBeach, combine an affordable computational cost with the ability to generate and propagate the longer infragravity (IG) waves. However, surfzone wave characteristics and the overtopping exposure modelled with XBeach are sensitive to settings such as the shape of the forcing wave spectra and the numerical scheme for wave propagation. The present paper explores this sensitivity and assesses the performance of different inundation models built with the 2DH surfbeat solver of XBeach. These models were forced with downscaled water levels and directional wave spectra and the results fuelled a discussion bounded by data collected downdrift of the entrance to the harbour of Figueira da Foz (Portugal). The original second-order upwind scheme, which propagates short-waves with a lower numerical diffusion improved the model performance in terms of long-wave height, and an unconventional breaking criterion better represented the cross-shore distribution of short-wave height near the shore. A calibrated model was validated through the hindcast of an overtopping event observed under moderate swell forcing, and was used to map the overtopping exposure during a hypothetical combination of an energetic swell with a water level having a return period of ∼70 years. Compared to the default wave spectra shape and model settings, using an appropriate representation of the short-wave directional spectrum at the open boundary was necessary to reproduce the observed overtopping extent. Refining the cross-shore resolution of the model helped to better represent the observed inundation extents, as also did the reduction of the friction coefficient. Additional phase-resolving simulations in 1DH overestimated IG wave energy and produced higher and more frequent overtopping discharges. The differences with the calibrated 2DH surfbeat model increased with the proximity of the inlet and with short-wave height and angle of incidence. Overall, required calibration steps were provided. They aim at making 2DH XBeach surfbeat a credible tool for 1) predicting short and IG wave characteristics up to the shoreline, as well as for 2) providing first estimates of exposure to overtopping in areas with shallow and alongshore-irregular morphologies. • Step-by-step hydrodynamic and flooding validation of XBeach surfbeat in 2DH. • Differences with 1DH phase-resolving runs vary alongshore and with waves' obliquity. • Wave shadowing and focusing by the inlet's jetties and ebb-shoals are accounted for. • Wave breaking criterion and wave spectrum are critical to model overtopping. • Flooding exposure is sensitive to the model's resolution and numerical scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The economical and ecological importance of tidal inlets has fostered the development of empirical tools for inlet management during the last century. This study aims at confronting these empirical theories with results obtained with a process-based numerical model, MORSYS2D. This 2DH morphodynamic modeling system is applied to an idealized tidal inlet/lagoon system with different combinations of significant wave height, tidal range and tidal prism. The numerical model predictions are compared to the empirical models of Hayes, Bruun, O''Brien and FitzGerald and to morphologies observed at natural tidal inlets. The results present good accordance with observations as well as with some key behaviors predicted with the empirical theories. The predicted morphologies satisfy the relation of O''Brien between the tidal prism and the cross-sectional area, the model reproduces the conceptual model of sand by-passing by ebb-tidal delta breaching of FitzGerald and the classifications of Hayes and Bruun are generally respected. However, some inconsistencies between model results and Hayes classification highlight the limitations of applying this classification, which only considers the yearly-averaged significant wave height and tidal range, to a single tidal inlet case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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