Confirmation of beach accretion by grain-size trend analysis: Camposoto beach, Cádiz, SW Spain

An application of the grain size trend analysis (GSTA) is used in an exploratory approach to characterize sediment transport on Camposoto beach (Cádiz, SW Spain). In May 2009 the mesotidal beach showed a well-developed swash bar on the upper foreshore, which was associated with fair-weather conditions prevailing just before and during the field survey. The results were tested by means of an autocorrelation statistical test (index I of Moran). Two sedimentological trends were recognized, i.e. development towards finer, better sorted and more negatively skewed sediment (FB–), and towards finer, better sorted and less negatively or more positively skewed sediment (FB+). Both vector fields were compared with results obtained from more classical approaches (sand tracers, microtopography and current measurements). This revealed that both trends can be considered as realistic, the FB+ trend being identified for the first time in a beach environment. The data demonstrate that, on the well-developed swash bar, sediment transported onshore becomes both finer and better sorted towards the coast. On the lower foreshore, which exhibits a steeper slope produced by breaking waves, the higher-energy processes winnow out finer particles and thereby produce negatively skewed grain-size distributions. The upper foreshore, which has a flatter and smoother slope, is controlled by lower-energy swash-backwash and overwash processes. As a result, the skewness of the grain-size distributions evolves towards less negative or more positive values. The skewness parameter appears to be distributed as a function of the beach slope and, thus, reflects variations in hydrodynamic energy. This has novel implications for coastal management.

Analysis of the dynamic characteristics and stochastic simulation on variations of beach volumes

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Nourishment and disaster mitigation efficiency of feeding sand on the dry section of a dissipative beach

To explore the nourishment effect and disaster reduction efficiency of a fully dissipative dry beach under the impact of storms, this paper uses the measured topography and hydrodynamic data to establish a onedimensional numerical model of the XBeach beach profile. By numerically modeling the change in the nourished profile for different dry beach widths under normal waves and storm conditions and the recovery process of the profile after the storm, the degree of response in dry beach nourishmen...     

Can beach dune ridges of the Texas Gulf Coast preserve climate signals?

A study of the evolution of North Padre Island (southern Texas Gulf Coast) dunes was carried out using LIDAR topographic data, dune vibracores through the center of the dunes, and grab samples of shoreface sand at four locations along a cross-shore profile. Grain-size analyses of the vibracores show vertical variations in shoreface sand deposition over decimeter depth intervals. A dune ridge growth model is introduced that describes the dune vertical accretion rate as a function of island progradation and freshwater lens expansion. This model allows indirect dating of the dune core samples based on a known island progradation rate (1?m/year), and height and spacing of the dunes calculated from the topographic data. A sand provenance model is also proposed that links the sand deposition in the dunes with sand sourced from various depths along the shoreface profile, depending on storm activity. We present evidence linking the changes in storm-sand deposition in the dune cores with yearly climatic fluctuations in the Gulf of Mexico associated with landfalling tropical storm activity in the period from 1942?C1965. This record of storm-induced sand variability is negatively correlated with El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (Pacific) sea surface temperature variability, and positively correlated with North Atlantic decadal sea surface temperature variability.     

Morphodynamic response of an embayed beach to different typhoon events with varying intensities

Beach erosion has occurred globally in recent decades due to frequent and severe storms. Dongsha beach, located in Zhujiajian Island, Zhejiang Province, China, is a typical embayed sandy beach. This study focused on the morphodynamic response of Dongsha beach to typhoon events, based on beach topographies and surficial sediment characteristics acquired before and after four typhoon events with varying intensities. The four typhoons had different effects on the topography and sediment characteris...     

Determination of wave–shoreline dynamics on a macrotidal gravel beach using Canonical Correlation Analysis

This paper describes the application of Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) to derive forcing–response relations between the wave climate and shoreline position on a macrotidal gravel barrier located in the southwest of the U.K., and to develop a tool to determine shoreline positions from wave records. The data sequences comprise wave climate recorded by a nearshore directional wave buoy and video-derived shorelines over a time span of one year and a half. The hydrodynamic conditions are used to determine the probability density function of wave heights and alongshore energy fluxes. These are then related to shoreline change through a CCA analysis. The CCA analysis identifies patterns of behaviour of the wave conditions and the shoreline position, and the relation between both patterns is found to provide useful information about the beach response to wave action. The analysis shows that the movement of sediment is greater at the southern end of the study area and that there is an immediate shoreline response to the wave action. In the case of coastal management it is more often the case that wave forecasts are available on a routine basis. The ability of the CCA to provide useful estimates of shorelines from wave conditions was tested by using measured waves to calculate the corresponding shoreline position from additional data at the end of the sequences. Shoreline positions determined with the CCA agreed well with the measured ones. Thus, the CCA is found to be a useful tool to determine unknown shoreline positions and support effective coastal management if good quality hydrodynamic and morphological data are available to input into the initial set-up of the technique.     

Dynamic geomorphology and storm response characteristics of the promontory-straight beach——a case of Gulei Beach,Fujian

As one of the main areas of tropical storm action in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, South China experiences several typhoons each year, and coastal erosion is a problem, making the area a natural testing ground for studying the dynamic geomorphological processes and storm response of promontory-straight coasts. This study is based on three years of topographic data and remote sensing imagery of Gulei Beach and uses topographic profile morphology, single width erosion-accretion and mean change, ...     

Patterns of species composition of beach seine fisheries off North-Western coast of Sri Lanka,fishers’ perceptions and implications for co-management

As in many developing countries, small-scale fisheries including beach seining contribute significantly livelihoods and food security of coastal communities. Beach seining in Sri Lanka is seasonal mainly during calm season deprived of strong monsoonal winds, and essentially a multi-species fishery. Knowledge about the seasonal occurrence of pelagic species is important to be known for proper planning of the fishing activity, especially due to the reason that beach seine fishers in many parts of Sri Lanka make decisions to attach the cod-end of correct type depending on the target species. The possibility of identifying pattern of seasonal occurrence of target fish species in beach seine fishing sites off the southern region of north-western coast of Sri Lanka was therefore investigated using Self Organizing Maps (SOM). The analysis indicated that beach seine fishers’ local knowledge to predict the occurrence of certain species in the fishing sites to adjust their fishing strategies to target desirable species was consistent with the findings of SOM approach. Consequently, it was concluded that as beach seine fishers use indirect indicators such as colour of sea water and behaviour sea birds predict the species occurrence fairly accurately, their local knowledge can be incorporated in the management planning of beach seine fisheries in the North Western coastal area of Sri Lanka.     

The influence of swash infiltration–exfiltration on beach face sediment transport: onshore or offshore?

Measurements were obtained from the swash-zone of a high-energy macrotidal dissipative beach of pore-pressure at four levels below the bed, and cross-shore velocity at a single height above the bed. Time-series from relatively high (H_s≈2.0 m) energy conditions were chosen for analysis from the mid-swash-zone at high tide. Calculation of upwards-directed pore-pressure gradients shows that, in this case, fluidisation of the upper layer of sediment, leading to enhanced backwash transport, is unlikely. An apparent conflict exists in the literature regarding the net effect of infiltration–exfiltration on the sediment transport, through the combined effects of stabilisation–destabilisation and boundary layer modification. This is examined for the data collected using a modified Shields parameter. Inferred instantaneous transport rates integrated over a single swash cycle show a decrease in uprush transport of 10.5% and an increase in backwash transport of 4.5%. Sensitivity tests suggest that there is a critical grain size at which the influence of infiltration–exfiltration changes from offshore to onshore. The exact value of this grain size is highly sensitive to the method used to estimate the friction factor.     

Tidal exposure or microhabitats: what determines sandy‐beach nematode zonation? a case study of a macrotidal ridge‐and‐runnel sandy beach in Belgium

Lately, across‐shore zonation has been found to be more important in structuring the nematode community of a tropical macrotidal sandy beach than microhabitat heterogeneity. To evaluate whether this zonation pattern applies to a temperate beach, a macrotidal ridge‐and‐runnels sandy beach in the North Sea was studied. We investigated whether a similar zonation occurs in sandbar and runnel microhabitats, and whether the runnels harbour a different community from the subtidal. Our results indicate that nematode communities from runnel and sandbar habitats are significantly different. In addition, horizontal zonation patterns for nematode communities differ between both habitats. Nematode assemblages from sandbars are divided to lower, middle and upper beach while upper and middle runnels cluster together. The subtidal and upper runnels showed dissimilar nematode assemblages, although runnels showed the same dominant species (Daptonema normandicum), which increases its abundance towards the upper runnels. This study illustrates the importance of microhabitat heterogeneity, which resulted in different zonation patterns across the sandy beach examined. The divergent zonation between sandbars and runnels in the macrotidal temperate sandy beach, compared with the pattern observed for a subtropical sandy beach with similar morphodynamics, indicates that generalizations about nematode distribution patterns should be made with caution.     

Numerical modeling of the Tramandaí beach oil spill,Brazil—Case study for January 2012 event

A numerical study using coupled models was performed to investigate the Tramandaí beach oil spill. The hydrodynamic three-dimensional TELEMAC3D and the ECOS model, an oil model being developed at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, were coupled and used to carry out a simulation of the oil spill event that occurred on the January 26, 2012 along the Tramandaí coast in the Southern Brazilian shelf. Oil drift results indicate that the oil reaches the coastline after 10 h. The final position, the extension of the spill and the time required for the oil to reach the coastline are corroborated by the observations based on the Brazilian environmental agency report. The winds and currents are the major physical forcing controlling the oil behavior and the final destination. The weathering properties of the oil indicate the formation of an emulsion with a water content of 69% and an increase of 45 kgm⁻³ in oil density due to the incorporation of water in the emulsification process and mass loss via evaporation. The final oil mass balance indicates that nearly 15% of the oil mass is lost due to evaporation.     

Beach morphology and nearshore processes on a sheltered beach — The case of Napatree Beach,Rhode Island

On the north side of Napatree Beach, short-term changes of the beach-face within the intertidal zone were studied to determine those processes most influential in causing change where nearshore processes are low in magnitude and beach changes are subtle. The data were subjected to multiple linear correlation and stepwise multiple-regression analyses.Tide level accounts for 41% of the explained variation for the relationship between the processes and beach height. Tide level is the only significant element effecting change in the beach profile. Wave height has no influence on changes in beach morphology. Significant results of beach energy associations have been obtained where low-amplitude nearshore processes are present even when beach changes are subtle.     

Comments on “Confirmation of beach accretion by grain-size trend analysis: Camposoto beach, Cádiz, SW Spain” by E. Poizot et al. (2013) Geo-Marine Letters 33(4)

This Discussion provides comments on the application of grain-size trend analysis to Camposoto beach (SW Spain) reported by Poizot et al. (2013) in Geo-Marine Letters 33(4):263–272. Some of their results are updated or complemented by existing data from other studies carried out on Camposoto and other nearby beaches. For example, a detailed breakdown of beach nourishment volumes and costs is presented, and the influence of a horizontal reef flat on the tilting of the beach profile around the mean or the low water level is highlighted. Moreover, data from the displacement of dyed samples are used to evaluate the relationship between sediment transport speed (v_a) and current speed (V), the corresponding ratio being consistent with the range of values reported by several other authors. Finally, some minor, although still significant, differences are detected in some granulometric parameters as well as in the profile shape. Determining the reason for these discrepancies could enhance our current knowledge about the factors controlling short-term beach profile responses.     

Sandy beach macrofaunal communities on the western coast of Portugal – Is there a steady structure under similar exposed conditions?

The structure of macrofaunal communities at two similar exposed sandy beaches on the western coast of Portugal was monitored for approximately 18 months by sampling all the beach area, from the shoreline to the base of the dunes. The beaches’ physical environment, as well as community density and composition, seasonal variations and the potential relationships between biological data and environmental parameters were studied. The two beaches had similar exposure to wave action, but differed in terms of sediment grain size, extent of the intertidal area, sediment moisture content and, especially, in the potential food availability in the form of allochthonous debris. Differences were observed with regard to the communities’ structure, namely regarding composition and relative contribution of the dominant species. Seasonality, especially temperature variations, and the interaction between seasons and the beach zones (supralittoral vs. intertidal) also had a strong influence on communities: controlling dominant species’ density and the horizontal distribution of the dominant species, and promoting a differential utilization of the beach by several resident macrofaunal animals. The present study allows the identification of key species in exposed sandy beaches of western Portugal and demonstrates that a steady community structure does not persist in the similarly exposed conditions observed, which may be mainly a response to distinct detritus subsidies, combined with differences in sediment grain size, sediment moisture content and extent of the intertidal area.     

The importance of the vertical accuracy of digital elevation models in gauging inundation by sea level rise along the Valdelagrana beach and marshes (Bay of Cádiz, SW Spain)

The identification of potential coastal inundation caused by future sea level rise requires not only time series records from tide gauges, but also high-quality digital elevation models (DEMs). This study assesses the importance of DEM vertical accuracy in predicting inundation by sea level rise along the Valdelagrana beach and marshes of the Bay of Cádiz (SW Spain). A present-day (2000) and a projected (2100) high tide have been spatialized over a traditional (aerial photogrammetry) regional DEM of Andalusia with a horizontal spatial resolution of 10 m and a vertical accuracy of 0.68 m RMSE (root mean square error), and a LIDAR-derived DEM of the Valdelagrana study site with the same spatial resolution but a vertical accuracy of 0.205 m RMSE. The simulations are based on a bathtub model, which accounts for the effect of vertical barriers. The results reveal that the presence of infrastructures such as roads and salterns is the key to delimit the extent of water penetration during high tides in an otherwise homogeneously flat area comprising the beach and marshes of Valdelagrana. Moreover, in comparison with the highly accurate LIDAR DEM, the inundation areas derived from the lower-resolution DEM are overestimated by 72 % and 26 % for the present-day and future scenarios respectively. These findings demonstrate that DEM vertical accuracy is a critical variable in meaningfully gauging the impacts of sea level rise.     

Are strandline meiofaunal assemblages affected by a once-only mechanical beach cleaning? Experimental findings

The increasing usage of sandy beaches as recreational resources has forced regional authorities of many tourist countries to remove all litter of fabricated origin and natural wrack from the beach. Consequently, a variety of heavy equipment has been developed during the last decades and is now used almost daily at many beaches. A field experiment, following a 'before-after-control-impact' (BACI) design, was conducted at the strandline of De Panne (Belgium) to investigate the impacts of mechanical beach cleaning on the strandline-associated meiofaunal assemblages, focussing on the free-living nematodes. Natural strandline assemblages were exposed to a one-off 5 cm deep mechanical beach cleaning and observed for 24 h. Differences between cleaned plots and those from control plots in terms of decreased percentage of organic matter, decreased total abundance and changed community structure were noticed from immediately after the experimental cleaning onwards and recovered to initial values after the following high water. Any impacts due to cleaning on species richness, Pielou's evenness and taxonomic diversity were shown to be minor in relation to the daily changes. Recolonization in the cleaned sediments is assumed to occur from the underlying sediments initiated by the elevated water table during the rising tide.     

Using video imagery to reconstruct the 3D intertidal terrain along a beach with multiple cusps

A high-frequency, high-resolution shore-based video monitoring system(VMS) was installed on a macrotidal(tidal amplitude >4 m) beach with multiple cusps along the Quanzhou coast, China. Herein, we propose a video imagery-based method that is coupled with waterline and water level observations to reconstruct the terrain of the intertidal zone over one tidal cycle. Furthermore, the beach cusp system(BCS) was precisely processed and embedded into the digital elevation model(DEM) to more effectiv...