Influence of sea level variability on a micro-tidal beach

Global climate change in response to buildup of human-induced greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has already resulted in several visible consequences such as an increase in ocean heat content and melting of glaciers. The relative effect of sea level and wave variability on shoreline changes along the coastline of James Town, Ghana (Gulf of Guinea), was investigated between 2013 and 2014. Data were gathered at James Town, over an 8-month period (2013–2014) from nearshore video installation, Era-Interim hindcast, and satellite altimetry. Data were evaluated over daily and monthly timescale variations. Though beach changes are not directly driven by sea level variability, its action is key in modulating waves influence. The results show that the shoreline responds in decreasing order to sea level variations (86%), waves (9%), and tidal cycles (5%) on daily bases. Wind-induced setup has limited effect on the shoreline. The observed most important component of sea level anomaly at this tropical “storm free” coast is the influence from inverse barometer. Decadal observations from satellite show that sea level anomaly is continuously rising in the Gulf of Guinea subregion with expected strong consequence for this urbanized low lying sandy coast.

     

海啸波作用下泥沙运动——Ⅰ.岸滩剖面变化分析

在波浪水槽实验的基础上,对海啸波作用下的岸滩剖面演变规律开展研究。实验采用1/10~1/20的组合坡度,考虑3种不同的水深,选取N波作为入射波,同时采用规则波和非规则波进行对比研究。实验对波高、波浪的上爬、回落和水跃过程、每个波作用后的地形进行了测量和记录。研究结果表明,水动力特性的不同造成了N波与规则波和不规则波作用下不同的岸滩剖面演变特点。N波作用下发生了明显的岸滩冲刷和淤积,水流回落时滩肩发生冲刷,高速薄层回流和出渗水流作用是滩肩冲刷的主要原因,离岸区水跃发生水流挟沙力降低,泥沙淤积呈沙坝剖面。     

海啸波作用下泥沙运动——Ⅱ.床沙组成变化分析

在波浪水槽实验的基础上,对海啸波作用下的床沙组成变化规律开展研究。实验采用1/10~1/20的组合坡度,选取N波作为入射波。实验对波高进行采集,对波浪的上爬、回落和水跃过程进行拍摄记录,对每个波作用后的地形进行测量,并对初始和最终的床面顶层泥沙进行采样筛分。实验结果表明,N波作用下泥沙在离岸区水跃发生区域堆积,淤积沙坝泥沙粒径呈粗化趋势。同时采用规则波和非规则波进行对比,波浪作用后形成岸滩也为沙坝剖面,淤积沙坝泥沙粒径呈细化趋势,结果均遵循Çelikoğlu提出的泥沙运动的基本规律,细颗粒泥沙会在强烈的紊动作用下从床面中被筛选出来,并被搬运到低紊动地区,此过程造成了剧烈紊动区泥沙的粗化。     

Scanning electron microscope evidence for offshore-onshore sand transport at Fire Island, New York, USA

Balancing the sediment budget of the Atlantic shoreline of Long Island has proved to be problematic because more sediment has been found to be moving westward in littoral drift than was estimated to be supplied by wave erosion of the Ronkonkoma terminal moraine at Montauk Point. There is a need for the existence of an additional, possibly offshore source. As part of a larger Atlantic shore study, 11 beach samples from Fire Island were compared with samples representing the known glacial source at Montauk Point, and also with four offshore samples to the south. Comparisons were based upon quartz sand grain surface texture patterns derived by scanning electron microscope checklist analysis. Initial evidence of an offshore-onshore link was provided by qualitative results examining surface texture variability between samples, illustrated by photographic evidence and written notes. This evidence was confirmed consistently during quantitative analysis. In particular, canonical variate analysis grouped two offshore samples representing deposits of buried glacial to fluvioglacial lobes with beach samples from Fire Island in adjacent onshore locations or slightly downdrift. In addition, canonical variate analysis and factor analysis using the spssx package, together with cluster analysis using the ARTHUR package, depicted the main factors and texture variables largely responsible for sample discrimination. The significance of both the offshore-onshore link and the associated factors influencing quartz grain surface texture was revealed by the fact that they are strongly related to each other and to the regional geomorphology.     

Seasonal changes and morphodynamic behavior of a high-energy mesotidal beach: case study of Charf el Akab beach on the North Atlantic coast of Morocco

The morphodynamic behavior of a mesotidal sandy beach was monitored during both calm and energetic conditions. Two years of seasonal surveys were carried out on Charf el Akab, a gently sloped beach in the North Atlantic coast of Morocco. The method of survey consisted of a 3D study of the beach morphological changes and provided 2 cm vertical accuracy. During the surveyed period, Charf el Akab beach underwent very energetic wave conditions, and the breaking wave height was of H _b ≥ 1.5 m. The beach is characterized by a nonpermanent swash bar and composed of well-sorted medium sand. The application of environmental parameters revealed a dissipative state with very low beach gradient which did not vary significantly over the studied period. Morphological changes consist of beach erosion and bar decay under high-energy waves, whereas the intertidal bar re-established and the beach recorded an accentuated accretion due to relatively fair weather conditions. The beach volume reveals a seasonal behavior; the sand accumulated during summer is dramatically removed during winter season. The range in beach sand volume from the most accreted to the most eroded conditions observed is about −5,493 m³. The average sand volume flux between surveys reaches −1 and 0.4 m²/day during peak erosion and accretion periods. The relationships between the wave forcing and the sand volume adjustments were examined. The sand volume change was found to be highly correlated (0.91) with the wave energy flux. The highest correspondence (0.95) was found between the sand flux rate and the wave energy flux. The wave forcing is expected to be the main factor governing beach morphodynamics at Charf el Akab site.     

Beach and nearshore morphodynamic changes of the Tabarka coast,Northwest of Tunisia

Aerial photographs taken in the 1963 and 2001 and bathymetric charts, in conjunction with coastal processes are analyzed to assess changes in rate of shoreline position, seabed level, and seabed grain sizes along the Tabarka–Berkoukech beach at the north-western Tunisian coastline. The littoral cell of this beach, 12-km-long, is bounded by pronounced embayments and rocky headlands separated by sandy stretches. Although not yet very much undeveloped, this littoral is still experienced degradation and modification, especially along its shoreline, with significant coastal erosion at some places. Results obtained from analysis of shoreline position indicate that El Morjene Beach is experienced a landward retreat of more than −62 m, at a maximum rate of −1.64 m/year, whereas the El corniche beach is advanced about 16–144 m, at an average rate of 0.42 m–3.78 m/year. This beach accretion has been formed on the updrift side of the Tabarka port constructed between 1966 and 1970. Comparison of bottom contours deduced from bathymetric charts surveyed in 1881 and 1996 off the coastline between Tabarka Port and El Morjene Beach identifies erosional areas (sediment source) and accretionary zones (sediment sink). Erosion (0.87–4.35 cm/year) occurs between El kebir River Mouth and El Morjene beach, whereas accretion exists in the zone down wind of the port ranges between 0.87 and 5.21 cm/year. Morphological analyses of the shoreline and the seabed of the study nearshore area indicate that shoreline retreat corresponds to areas of seabed scour (sediment source) while shoreline accretion is associated with areas of seabed deposition (sediment sink). Furthermore, simulation of wave propagation using STWAVE model combined with grain size distributions of the seabed shows that fine sands are much dominated in depositional areas with low wave energy, whereas coarser sands in erosive zones with high wave energy. The results obtained suggest that the change of seabed morphology, wave height pattern and grain size sediment have a great influence on the modification of shoreline morphology and dynamics.     

Sedimentology,ichnology and hydrodynamics of strait‐margin,sand and gravel beaches and shorefaces: Juan de Fuca Strait,British Columbia,Canada

On the south‐west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, sedimentological and ichnological analysis of three beach–shoreface complexes developed along a strait margin was undertaken to quantify process–response relations in straits and to develop a model for strait‐margin beaches. For all three beaches, evidence of tidal processes are expressed best in the lower shoreface and offshore and, to a lesser extent, in the middle shoreface. Tidal currents are dominant offshore, below 18 m water depth (relative to the mean spring high tide), whereas wave processes dominate sediment deposition in the nearshore (intertidal zone to 5 m water depth). From 18 to 5 m water depth, tidal processes decrease in importance relative to wave processes. The relatively high tidal energy in the offshore and lower shoreface is manifest sedimentologically by the dominance of sand, of a similar grain size to the upper shoreface/intertidal zone and, by the prevalence of current‐generated structures (current ripples) oriented parallel to the shoreline. In addition, the offshore and lower shoreface of strait‐bound beach–shoreface complexes are recognized ichnologically by traces typical of the Skolithos Ichnofacies. This situation contrasts to the dominantly horizontal feeding traces characteristic of the Cruziana Ichnofacies that are prevalent in the lower shoreface and offshore of open‐coast (wave‐dominated) beach–shorefaces. These sedimentological and ichnological characteristics reflect tidal influence on sediment deposition; consequently, the term ‘tide‐influenced shoreface’ most accurately describes these depositional environments.     

Evaluation of criteria for predicting erosion and accretion on an estuarine sand beach, Delaware Bay, Jew Jersey

Predicting erosion and accretion of sand beaches in estuaries is important to managing shoreline development and identifying potential relationships between biological productivity and beach change. Wave, sediment and profile data, gathered over twenty-nine days on an estuarine sand beach in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, were used to evaluate the performance of four criteria that predict beach erosion and accretion due to wave-induced cross-shore sediment movement (Dean 1973; Sunamura and Horikawa 1974; Hattori and Kawamata 1980; Kraus et al. 1991). Each criterion defines a relation, between a wave and sediment parameter, and includes a coefficient that discriminates beach erosion and accretion events. Relations, based on small-scale laboratory and field data, were evaluated for predicting erosion or accretion at the study site. Significant wave heights at the study site, monitored near high water, ranged from 0.08 to 0.52 m with periods of 2.4 to 12.8 s. Median grain sizes of sediments on the beach foreshore, gathered at low water, ranged from 0.33 to 0.73 mm. All four criteria showed a clustering of erosion and accretion events. Relations derived from small-scale laboratory data were better predictors of erosion on the profile at the field site than those derived from field data gathered on exposed ocean environments. The planar profile and dominance of incident waves of low height and short period are similar to laboratory conditions characterized by initial planar beach slopes and monochromatic waves. Decreasing the value of the empirical coefficient to account for the differences in the magnitude of wave energy and grain size increases the performance of the criteria tested to predict erosion of the profile.     

Mapping erosion risk under different scenarios of climate change for Aveiro coast, Portugal

Several coastal zones are facing shoreline retreat problems, losing territory due to energetic sea actions, negative sediment transport balances and climate change phenomena. To deal with this problem, efficient tools are necessary to help decision-makers choose the right procedures to follow. These tools should assess, estimate and project scenarios of coastal evolution in a medium-to-long-term perspective. To perform reliable projections, as many variables as possible should be analysed, and the impact of each of these variables on the shoreline evolution should be understood. This study aimed to analyse three climate change phenomena that are considered the most important in a Portuguese west coast stretch (at Aveiro region). The considered phenomena are the wave height increasing due to storms, the wave direction changes and the sea level rise. A shoreline evolution numerical model, long-term configuration, developed to support coastal zone planning and management in relation to erosion problems was applied. This work defined a methodology for classification of risk areas, considering the uncertainty associated with different wave climate sequences on simulations. As a result, different risk maps according to considered climate change effects were obtained, defining areas of high, medium and low risk of territory loss due to erosion. A generalized erosion tendency and shoreline retreat were observed, particularly in the downdrift side of groins. The sea water level rise showed lower impacts in the shoreline evolution than wave direction changes, or wave height increasing, which presents the highest impact.     

A study of coastal transformation at Tuticorin as a result of emerged and submerged natural breakwaters of Van Island,Gulf of Mannar

Similar to artificial offshore structures, natural structures such as an island also protect the low-lying shoreline and shape the pocket beaches. In the Gulf of Mannar, many long islands have formed protruding from shorelines. Formation of these indirect morphological structures depends upon a number of factors, such as the width of the island, offshore distance of the island to the morphological structure, supply of sediments and other geological conditions. The hydrodynamic conditions between Tuticorin Harbour and Van Island have changed because of various factors over the years. Van Island coral reef formation had attracted man-induced mining causing irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystem. The emerged natural breakwater and the submerged coral reef, together with the artificial breakwaters of Tuticorin Harbour, have been contributory to quantifiable change in hydrodynamic conditions around Tuticorin. As a result, the transmission of wave power to the shoreline has increased and the salient growth at Salaipatorri Point, Tuticorin, has started to recede. The bathymetric chart published in 1978 is used for all dimensions of Van Island and receding salient growth at Salaipatorri Point.     

Coastal morphology and beach stability along Thiruvananthapuram,south-west coast of India

Shoreline changes are largely dependent on coastal morphology. South-west coast of India is a high energy coast characterised by monsoon high waves, steep beach face and medium-sized beach sand. Waves are generally from west and west south-west during rough monsoon season and from south-west during fair weather season. Shoreline change along this coast is studied with reference to coastal morphological features. Various morphological features, modifications and chronological positions of shoreline are analysed with the information derived from multidated satellite imageries, toposheets and GPS shoreline mapping along with extended field survey. Image processing and GIS techniques have been used for the analysis of data and presentation of results. Sediment accumulation on the leeward side of artificial structures such as harbour breakwaters and groynes is used as a sediment transport indicator. Artificial structures such as seawalls, groynes and harbour breakwaters modify morphology. Shoreline south of headlands/promontories and breakwaters are stable or accreting due to net northerly longshore sediment transport while erosion tendency is observed on the north side. Lateritic cliffs fronting the sea or with seasonal beach undergo slumping and cliff edge retreat as episodic events. Spits adjoining tidal inlets are prone to shoreline variations due to oscillations of inlet mouth. Interventions in the form of inlet stabilization and construction of coastal protection structures trigger erosion along adjoining coasts. Seawalls constructed along highly eroding coasts get damaged, whereas those constructed along monsoon berm crest with frontal beaches for protection against monsoon wave attack are retained. Fishing gaps within seawalls are areas of severe temporary erosion during rough monsoon season. Accretion or erosion accompanies construction of harbour breakwaters in a stable coastal plain. Close dependence of shoreline changes on morphology necessitates detailed understanding of impacts on morphology prior to introducing any intervention in the coastal zone.     

印度塔米尔那杜地区堪雅库玛里与奥瓦利之间海岸区域海啸灾后评估——事例分析(英文)

海岸带是动态地区,由于众多因素,包括海平面的上升、波浪与洋流的类型、飓风乃至人类的影响,海岸地区经常受到变动。2004年12月26日巨大海啸席卷了堪雅库玛里至奥瓦利之间的海岸。当海浪冲上海滩时波高达30英尺。许多人因为巨浪的冲击和退浪的强力推拉而淹死在海里,许多村庄被毁。死亡总数超过300人,而且财产损失严重。海啸的规模与洋底移动的面积、移动距离是有关系的。该区显示为海成阶地、沙丘、滩脊、河口、洪积平原、海滩、红树林、准平原、高地、海蚀崖等等。我们试图通过现场在线勘查、政府记录以及采用遥感技术所做的海岸地貌研究等资料,通过海滩剖面测量和海岸环境的变化,进行海岸线动力学研究。文中也对主要的破坏予以认定。     

Abundance and dispersal potential of horseshoe crab (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Limulus polyphemus</Emphasis>) larvae in the Delaware estuary

The distribution, abundance, and dispersal patterns of horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) trilobite larvae were determined from 671 plankton tows taken near a spawning beach in lower Delaware Bay, New Jersey, in 1998 and 1999. In both years, peaks in larval abundance occurred during periods of rough surf (>30 cm wave heights). Planktonic larvae were significantly more abundant nocturnally than during the day, but there was no evidence of a lunar component to larval abundance. Larvae were strongly concentrated inshore; trilobites were 10–100 times more abundant in the immediate vicinity of the shoreline than they were 100–200 m offshore. The strong tendency ofLimulus larvae to remain close to the beach suggests that their capability for long-range dispersal between estuaries is extremely limited. We suggest that limited larval dispersal potential may help explain previously observed patterns of genetic variation among the Mid-Atlantic horseshoe crab populations.     

海岸带波浪破碎区污染物运动的实验研究

由于波浪在岸滩上的演化、破碎使得污染物在海岸带的运动规律变得十分复杂。通过实验模拟,研究了缓坡海岸(坡度为1:100和1:40)波浪破碎区污染物的运动规律,给出了不同时刻污染物在该区域的运动变化趋势。讨论并分析了在斜向规则入射波、不规则入射波及不同入射波波高作用下污染物在沿岸波浪破碎区域的运动变化方向和相应的运动范围分布规律。给出并分析了近岸波浪破碎区域污染物运动分布规律。     

TheUrquiola oil spill,La Coruña,Spain: Impact and reaction on beaches and rocky coasts

The supertankerUrquiola grounded, exploded, and burned at the entrance to La Coruña harbor (Spain) on May 12, 1976. A total of 100,000 tons of Persian Gulf crude oil was lost, of which about 30,000 tons washed onto shoreline environments. From May 17 to June 10, 1976, the impact and interaction of oil on fine-sand, coarse-sand, and gravel beaches and on sheltered and exposed rocky coasts was monitored in detail. At 32 localities, the beach was profiled, trenched, extensively sampled, and photographed. Another 67 stations were examined for surficial oil coverage and distribution. The surficial distribution of oil on the beaches was influenced primarily by wave activity, tidal stage, and oil quantity. Heaviest accumulations formed along the high-tide swash line. Within beach sediments, oil was present at distinct oiled sediment layers, which were often deeply buried. The depth of burial was related to wave energy and sediment type. Deepest burial (1 m) was on a high-energy, coarse-sand beach (M_z=0.82φ). Burial on fine-sand beaches was less than 30 cm. The thickness of oiled sediment depended on sedimentary characteristics, the quantity of oil present, wave action, and capillary forces. Oil-soaked sediment, as much as 65-cm thick, occurred on coarse-grained beaches. On fine-sand beaches, oiled sediment was limited to thicknesses of 10 cm or less. On rocky shores, oil distribution was determined primarily by wave energy. Along high-energy, cliffed, or steeply dipping rocky areas, wave reflection kept the oil approximately 5 m offshore and contamination was minimal. In low-energy, sheltered areas, oil readily accumulated, causing apparent environmental damage.     

Berm development on a monsoon-influenced microtidal beach

The mechanisms of berm development along a microtidal-high energy beach is examined. Such a beach with medium-sized sand and monsoon wave-controlled profile at Valiathura, south-west coast of India, is selected for this study. The waves which very rarely fall below 1 m, often exceed 4 m during the monsoon period of May to October. The erosion-accretion pattern of the beach shows a cyclicity and the berm development is mainly due to the onshore migration and welding of longshore bars on to the beach following the monsoon rough season. The stages of berm development in the present microtidal beach are more or less similar to the model presented by Hine for a mesotidal case, except for the following intermediate additional stages. The longshore bar develops due to the erosion of beach when the wave steepness was above 0·04, gets flattened when it falls below 0·04, and then reforms nearer to the shoreline as a swash bar. This reformed bar gets divided and the inner bar gets welded on to the beach, followed by the outer bar developing the berm. During the onshore migration of the longshore bar and berm development the beach face becomes partially reflective with the surf scaling parameter, ε_b between 2·5 and 33. The inshore is dissipative with the inshore surf scaling parameter, ε_s?33. The offshore side of the longshore bar is partially reflective with its surf scaling parameter, ε_bar between 2·5 and 33. The breakers are spilling or plunging. Vertical growth of the berm is mainly due to the changes in swash-limit caused by the variations in wave steepness, breaker height and type. Vertical growth stops when the beach-face attains equilibrium with the grain size-wave energy relationship, and a wave steepness below 0·02 helps to sustain this state.     

Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Estuarine Shoreline Change in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System,North Carolina,USA

Many shoreline studies rely on historical change rates determined from aerial imagery decades to over 50 years apart to predict shoreline position and determine setback distances for coastal structures. These studies may not illustrate the coastal impacts of short-duration but potentially high-impact storm events. In this study, shoreline change rates (SCRs) are quantified at five different sites ranging from marsh to sediment bank shorelines around the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system (APES) for a series of historical (decadal to 50-year) and short-term (bimonthly) time periods as well as for individual storm events. Long-term (historical) SCRs of approximately ?0.5 ± 0.07 m year^?1 are observed, consistent with previous work along estuarine shorelines in North Carolina. Short-term SCRs are highly variable, both spatially and temporally, and ranged from 15.8 ± 7.5 to ?19.3 ± 11.5 m year^?1 at one of the study sites. The influence of wave climate on the spatial and temporal variability of short-term erosion rates is investigated using meteorological observations and coupled hydrodynamic (Delft3D) and wave (SWAN) models. The models are applied to simulate hourly variability in the surface waves and water levels. The results indicate that in the fetch-limited APES, wind direction strongly influences the wave climate at the study sites. The wave height also has an influence on short-term SCRs as determined from the wave simulations for individual meteorological events, but no statistical correlation is found for wave height and SCRs over the long term. Despite the significantly higher rates of shoreline erosion over short time periods and from individual events like hurricanes, the cumulative impact over long time periods is low. Therefore, while the short-term response of these shorelines to episodic forcing should be taken into account in management plans, the long-term trends commonly used in ocean shoreline management can also be used to determine erosion setbacks on estuarine shorelines.     

不规则波在岸礁地形增水变化规律试验

波浪增水抬升了岸礁礁坪的平均水位,对岸礁后方陆域安全有重要影响。通过水槽试验,研究了不规则波况下岸礁礁坪的增水。试验组次为3种礁坪水深、4种有效波高和4种谱峰周期的组合。试验结果表明:①岸礁地形上的波浪要素需至少统计200个波才能达到稳定;②不规则波列在岸礁上破碎过程比规则波列复杂,同一波列中波高较大的波以卷破形式在礁前斜坡上破碎,波高较小的波以崩破形式在礁坪上破碎或者不破碎;③礁坪上最大增水值随入射波周期的增大而增大、随礁坪水深的增大而减小,并与入射波波高呈正比。结合试验数据,发现基于规则波试验得出的Gourlay礁坪增水公式,在使用有效波高和谱峰周期作为代表波要素时,公式能良好地预测不规则波在岸礁礁坪上的最大增水值。     

四川盆地仪陇-平昌地区二叠系长兴组地震沉积学研究

为明确四川盆地仪陇-平昌地区长兴组地震相及沉积特征,运用地震岩性学和地震地貌学的综合分析技术,开展井-震结合及礁体三维识别研究,以阐明长兴组生物礁滩储集体的展布特征。研究结果表明,仪陇-平昌地区长兴组主要为四个沉积区带,开阔台地相对应平行-亚平行席状中弱断续地震相、台地边缘相对应平行-亚平行丘状或透镜状中弱地震相、台地前缘斜坡相对应前积席状弱地震相,海盆相对应平行-亚平行席状中强地震相,可细分为台缘礁、台内礁和台内滩亚相;30 Hz振幅调谐体切片揭示海盆岸线为北西向展布,25 Hz调谐体切片对于海盆线西侧的台缘带礁体和台内礁滩体反应明显;生物礁滩体的平面展布特征、发育规模受控于长兴组沉积期西南高、东北低的古地貌形态,台缘礁生长发育的有利区域为台地相带两排北西向凸起带。