Dynamics of intertidal drainage channels on a multi‐barred macrotidal beach

The intertidal drainage channels on a macrotidal bar–trough (ridge‐and‐runnel) beach were monitored during a 17‐day survey. Type 1 channels were persistent, dominantly longshore systems essentially limited to the wide intertidal zone between mean high and low water neap tidal levels. The cumulative length of this channel type fluctuated as a function of topographically controlled through‐flow or flow impedance in troughs, and showed no correlation with the semi‐lunar tidal cycle. Smaller, ephemeral type 2 channels appeared as dominantly cross‐shore systems incising bars on the narrower upper and lower beach zones during spring tides. They disappeared during neap tides through infill by waves and aeolian activity. The only significant phase of type 1 channel mobility occurred during a brief moderate‐energy storm at the start of the survey. The effect of this mobility on beach morphology was inextricably linked to that of waves and currents. Meander bend migration, forced by wave‐ and longshore‐current‐induced migration of a bar during the storm, resulted in important but highly localized morphological change that was only a minor part of an irregular saw‐tooth pattern of change that affected the entire beach profile, and that was largely controlled by wave processes and longshore currents. The flow velocities in channels on this beach are too weak to generate the formation and longshore migration of high‐energy bedforms. Channel mobility and impact on beach morphology are expected to increase under storm conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical model for shore-normal sediment size variation on a macrotidal beach

This paper describes a computer simulation model which is designed to predict the selective shore-normal sorting of grain sizes in the nearshore environment. The model simulates wave shoaling, wave height attenuation due to frictional losses and breaking, using linear theory up to the break point and a breaker decay model in the surf zone. Peak horizontal orbital velocities at the bed are calculated from Stokes second-order wave theory. The peak onshore and offshore velocities are used with the threshold expression of Komar and Miller (1975) to generate a spatial pattern of size variation of threshold grain diameter along a profile normal to the shore from deep water to the swash zone. The predicted grain size is used in an hydraulic interpretation of grain size distribution on the intertidal profile, based on the hydrodynamic variations over a tidal cycle on a macrotidal beach. The model is successful in predicting the broad pattern of increasing grain size in the onshore direction which has been observed in nature. Comparisons between measured and predicted grain size distributions indicate that the predictions of the model are better than those of previous models, but the model is more successful at predicting sediment size distributions than at predicting mean sizes on a beach profile.     

Modelling the time-varying extent of groundwater seepage on tidal beaches

The outcrop of groundwater on tidal beaches distinguishes an upper unsaturated region from a lower saturated region of the intertidal profile. Since the 1940s, it has been recognized that the extent of groundwater seepage at the beach face is one factor determining the tendency for erosive or accretionary conditions to prevail. As a primary step towards incorporating bed saturation characteristics within cross-shore sediment transport models, this paper (and accompanying program disk) details a simple model to simulate the time-varying extent of seepage face development across tidal beaches. From a comparison with field results obtained on the macrotidal Central Queensland (Australia) coast, the model appears to provide an encouraging degree of predictive capability. The model also assists in highlighting the sensitivity of seepage face development to varying beach face, tide and wave characteristics.     

Effects of beach slope breaks on nearshore groundwater dynamics

Interactions between fresh groundwater and seawater affect significantly the nearshore pore water flow, which in turn influences the fate of nutrients and contaminants in coastal aquifers prior to discharge to the marine environment. Field investigations and numerical simulations were carried out to examine the groundwater dynamics in the intertidal zone of a carbonate sandy aquifer on the tropical island of Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The study site was featured by distinct cross‐shore slope breaks on the beach surface. Measured pore water salinities revealed different distributions under the influences of different beach profiles, inland heads, and tidal oscillations. Fresh groundwater was found to discharge around a beach slope break located in the middle area of the intertidal zone. The results indicate a strong interplay between the slope break beach morphology and tidal force in controlling the nearshore groundwater flow and solute transport. The fresh groundwater discharge location was largely determined by the beach morphology in combination with the tidal force. The nearshore groundwater flow can be very sensitive to beach slope breaks, which induce local circulation and flow instabilities. As slope breaks are a common feature of beaches around the world, these results have important, general implications for future studies of nutrients transport and transformations in nearshore aquifers and associated fluxes via submarine groundwater discharge.     

Berm formation and dynamics on a gently sloping beach; the effect of water level and swash overtopping

Berm formation and morphological development of the beach face have been observed during a neap–neap tidal cycle on the gently sloping and accreting beach at Vejers, Denmark. During the field campaign, an intertidal bar migrated onshore and stabilized as a berm on the foreshore. A new intertidal bar occurred on the lower beach face, migrated onshore on the rising tide and finally merged with the pre‐existing berm. As the tide continued to rise, the new berm translated further onshore as an intertidal bar to the uppermost part of the foreshore. The sediment transport during the berm transition was onshore directed in the upper swash and offshore directed in the lower swash. This berm development can be described through both the neap‐berm, ridge‐and‐runnel and berm‐ridge development concepts proposed by Hine (Sedimentology 1979; 26: 333–351), and all three stages were observed during only three tidal cycles. The main factors controlling this fast transformation were the gentle slope of the cross‐shore profile, rapid water level translation rates, substantial swash overtopping of the berm, and low infiltration rates. Despite the onshore migration of intertidal bars and berm formation, no net foreshore accretion took place during the field campaign. This was largely due to the formation of rip channels with strong rip currents cutting through the intertidal bars and the berm, which acted as a sediment drain in the profile. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Beach erosion and recovery during consecutive storms at a steep‐sloping,meso‐tidal beach

This study analyses beach morphological change during six consecutive storms acting on the meso‐tidal Faro Beach (south Portugal) between 15 December 2009 and 7 January 2010. Morphological change of the sub‐aerial beach profile was monitored through frequent topographic surveys across 11 transects. Measurements of the surf/swash zone dimensions, nearshore bar dynamics, and wave run‐up were extracted from time averaged and timestack coastal images, and wave and tidal data were obtained from offshore stations. All the information combined suggests that during consecutive storm events, the antecedent morphological state can initially be the dominant controlling factor of beach response; while the hydrodynamic forcing, and especially the tide and surge levels, become more important during the later stages of a storm period. The dataset also reveals the dynamic nature of steep‐sloping beaches, since sub‐aerial beach volume reductions up to 30 m³/m were followed by intertidal area recovery (–2 < z < 3 m) with rates reaching ~10 m³/m. However, the observed cumulative dune erosion and profile pivoting imply that storms, even of regular intensity, can have a dramatic impact when they occur in groups. Nearshore bars seemed to respond to temporal scales more related to storm sequences than to individual events. The formation of a prominent crescentic offshore bar at ~200 m from the shoreline appeared to reverse the previous offshore migration trend of the inner bar, which was gradually shifted close to the seaward swash zone boundary. The partially understood nearshore bar processes appeared to be critical for storm wave attenuation in the surf zone; and were considered mainly responsible for the poor interpretation of the observed beach behaviour on the grounds of standard, non‐dimensional, morphological parameters. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the effect of waves,weathering and beach development on shore platform development

A mathematical model was used to study shore platform development. Mechanical wave erosion was dependent on such variables as tidal range, wave height and period, breaker height and depth, breaker type, surf zone width and bottom roughness, submarine gradient, rock resistance and the elevational frequency of wave action within the intertidal zone. Also included were the effects of sand and pebble accumulation, cliff height and debris mobility, and downwearing associated with tidal wetting and drying. The occurrence, location and thickness of beaches often depended on initially quite minor variations in platform morphology, but owing to their abrasive or protective effect on underlying rock surfaces, they were able to produce marked differences in platform morphology. Generalizations are difficult, but the model suggests that platform gradient increases with tidal range. Platform width also increases with tidal range with slow downwearing but it decreases with fast downwearing. Platform gradient decreases and width increases with wave energy, and decreasing rock resistance and platform roughness. With low tidal range, platform gradient is generally lower and platform width greater with beaches of fine sand than with gravel, but the relationship is more variable with a high tidal range. Platform width increases and platform gradient decreases with the rate of downwearing on bare surfaces, particularly in low tidal range environments, but the pattern is less clear on beach‐covered platforms. Platforms with large amounts of beach sediment tend to be narrower and steeper than bare platform surfaces. Platform gradient increases and platform width decreases with increasing cliff height and with decreasing cliff debris mobility. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and seasonal aspects of beach stability

Recent work at three contrasting sites in England and Wales has shown characteristics atypical of those frequently reported elsewhere. These differences are:

• (a) Taking each entire beach system there is no uniform trend of erosion or accretion, nor a progressive variation in beach elevation or volume alongshore, from one survey to the next. However, for Swansea Bay the ‘long-term’ (i. e. 18 months) range in profile height along that stretch of coast where the alignment of the beach is normal to the direction of wave approach, correlates well with computed wave energy derived from relevant offshore wave directions.
• (b) While beach variability is greatest during the ‘winter’ (i. e. storm) period there is no overall tendency for a drawdown of sediment from the intertidal zone at that time. Response times are relatively short. Thus high beach levels need not necessarily be associated with ‘summer’ conditions.
• (c) Although in Swansea Bay there is a tendency for the beach height to fluctuate least at mid-tide level this is not true of the other two sites. In no area does sediment eroded from the upper exposed part of the beach regularly appear to be deposited on the lower exposed part, or vice versa.

     

Location and height of intertidal bars on macrotidal ridge and runnel beaches

Previous studies devoted to the morphology and hydrodynamics of ridge and runnel beaches highlight characteristics that deviate from those initially postulated by King and Williams (Geographical Journal, 1949, vol. 113, 70–85) and King (Beaches and Coasts, 1972, Edward Arnold). Disagreements on the morphodynamics of these macrotidal beaches include the position of the ridges relative to the mean neap and spring tide levels, the variation in the height of the ridges across the intertidal profile and, most importantly, whether the ridges are formed by swash or surf zone processes. The morphological characteristics of ridge and runnel beaches from three locations with varying wave, tidal and geomorphic settings were investigated to address these disagreements. Beach profiles from each site were analysed together with water‐level data collected from neighbouring ports. It was found that the ridges occur over the entire intertidal zone. On one site (north Lincolnshire, east England), the ridges are uniformly distributed over the intertidal beach, whereas on the two other sites (Blackpool beach, northwest England, and Leffrinckoucke beach, north France) there is some indication that the ridges appear to occur at preferential locations. Most significantly, the locations of the ridge crests were found to be unrelated to the positions on the intertidal profile where the water level is stationary for the longest time. It was further found that the highest ridges generally occur just above mid‐tide level where tidal non‐stationarity is greatest. These findings argue against the hypothesis that the ridges are formed by swash processes acting at stationary tide levels. It is tentatively suggested that the ridges are the result of a combination of swash and surf zone processes acting across the intertidal zone. Elucidation of the morphodynamic roles of these two types of processes, and other processes such as strong current flows in the runnels, requires further comprehensive field measurements complemented by numerical modelling. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics and dynamics of multiple intertidal bars,north Lincolnshire,England

Multiple intertidal bars and troughs, often referred to as ‘ridges and runnels’, are significant features on many macrotidal sandy beaches. Along the coastline of England and Wales, they are particularly prevalent in the vicinity of estuaries, where the nearshore gradient is gentle and a large surplus of sediment is generally present. This paper examines the dynamics of such bar systems along the north Lincolnshire coast. A digital elevation model of the intertidal morphology obtained using LIDAR demonstrates that three to five intertidal bars are consistently present with a spacing of approximately 100 m. The largest and most pronounced bars (height = 0·5–0·8 m) are found around mean sea level, whereas the least developed bars (height = 0·2–0·5 m) occur in the lower intertidal zone. Annual aerial photographs of the intertidal bar morphology were inspected to try to track individual bars from year to year to derive bar migration rates; however, there is little resemblance between concurrent photographs, and ‘resetting’ of the intertidal profile occurs on an annual basis. Three‐dimensional beach surveys were conducted monthly at three locations along the north Lincolnshire coast over a one‐year period. The intertidal bar morphology responds strongly to the seasonal variation in the forcing conditions, and bars are least numerous and flattest during the more energetic winter months. Morphological changes over the monthly time scale are strongly affected by longshore sediment transport processes and the intertidal bar morphology can migrate along the beach at rates of up to 30 m per month. The behaviour of intertidal bars is complex and varies over a range of spatial and temporal scales in response to a combination of forcing factors (e.g. incident wave energy, different types of wave processes, longshore and cross‐shore sediment transport), relaxation time and morphodynamic feedback. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of key parameters in a diffusion type beach profile evolution model

Diffusion type formulations are commonly used in beach profile evolution models. The practical idea behind that is to map the behaviour of the beach profile onto a simple mathematical model that exhibits the same behaviour under defined operating conditions. The success of this approach is based on the accurate determination of key parameters in the diffusion model that govern its behaviour, using observed beach behaviour in the field. In order to determine these parameters, i.e. diffusion coefficient and a time and space varying source function, we used observations of historic beach profiles at Milford-on-Sea beach in Christchurch Bay, Dorset, United Kingdom. The relationship between the diffusion coefficient and Dean's equilibrium profile was investigated, leading to a new interpretation of the diffusion coefficient in terms of the sediment characteristics. The analysis also shows the significance of the diffusion process in the medium to long term evolution of the beach profile. A canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was undertaken in order to identify patterns of behaviour between wave conditions and source terms, and the possible correlations between them. The analysis provides strong evidence of a useful link between the source term in the simple dynamical equation and the distribution of wave steepness.     

Short‐term intertidal bar mobility on a ridge‐and‐runnel beach,Merlimont, northern France

Digital elevation models and topographic pro?les of a beach with intertidal bar and trough (ridge‐and‐runnel) morphology in Merlimont, northern France, were analysed in order to assess patterns of cross‐shore and longshore intertidal bar mobility. The beach exhibited a pronounced dual bar–trough system that showed cross‐shore stationarity. The bars and troughs were, however, characterized by signi?cant longshore advection of sand under the in?uence of suspension by waves and transport by strong tide‐ and wind‐driven longshore currents. Pro?le changes were due in part to the longshore migration of medium‐sized bedforms. The potential for cross‐shore bar migration appears to be mitigated by the large size of the two bars relative to incident wave energy, which is modulated by high vertical tidal excursion rates on this beach due to the large tidal range (mean spring tidal range = 8·3 m). Cross‐shore bar migration is also probably hindered by the well‐entrenched troughs which are maintained by channelled high‐energy intertidal ?ows generated by swash bores and by tidal discharge and drainage. The longshore migration of intertidal bars affecting Merlimont beach is embedded in a regional coastal sand transport pathway involving tidal and wind‐forced northward residual ?ows affecting the rectilinear northern French coast in the eastern English Channel. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Links between wave forcing,offshore islands and a macro‐tidal headland‐bound bay beach

Profiles were analysed in conjunction with wave climate to assess offshore island influences on an embayed beach at Tenby, Wales. Time series analyses showed medium and short‐term beach oscillation, with volume exchanges between zones lagging by up to six months. Dominant southerly and southwesterly waves caused sub and low tidal longshore drift from south towards north, while less frequent southeasterly waves generated counter drift. Modelled inshore breaking waves had less energy than offshore ones and the former behaved differently between the low and high tidal zones (spring tidal range of 7 · 5 m). Variations in wave direction from directly behind the islands resulted in reduced wave heights and statistical analyses agreed with wave model results. These were correlated to morphological change and it was concluded that offshore islands change wave dynamics and modify the morphology of embayed beaches in their lee. Consequently, this work provides significant new insights into offshore island influences, shoreline behaviour and especially tidal setting Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nearshore intertidal topography and topographic-forcing mechanisms of an Amazon-derived mud bank in French Guiana

The intertidal topography in the vicinity of the contact zone between a longshore-migrating Amazon-derived mud bank and the muddy terrestrial shoreline in French Guiana was defined from a combination of satellite-based SPOT images, airborne lidar data and high-resolution total station ground surveying of a 75,000 m² plot. The three approaches, at different scales, were carried out at different periods. Digital elevation models generated from these three techniques, however, converge in highlighting the topographic micro-scale (centimetre-scale) variability of the mud bank surface while showing meso- to macro-scale features that reflect the dominance of wave activity in mud bank mobilization and attachment to the terrestrial shoreline. These features are bar-like longshore forms that develop in the intertidal zone from the shoreward drift of gel-like mud that accompanies wave damping. The features progressively become consolidated through mud drying out associated with the formation of cracks that are important in mangrove colonization and ecological changes. Fluid-mud accumulations formed from high concentrations of mud trapped in the troughs behind these linear bar forms generate flat featureless surfaces that tend to mask topographic heterogeneity of the mud bank surface. Dewatering of these lower zones by progressive mud consolidation complements tidal water discharge in providing a mechanism for the formation of the numerous channels that dissect the linear bar features, especially in the upper intertidal contact zone with the terrestrial shoreline. This dissection in the upper intertidal zone generates an intricate topography that replaces the original linear bar forms. The innermost bar forms a ‘suture’ zone with the terrestrial shoreline. Reworking of this bar by high-energy waves may lead to mud dispersal over old terrestrial mangrove substrates, resulting in stifling of mangrove pneumatophores. Mud reworking at the narrow trailing edge of the mud bank in the subtidal and lower intertidal zones leaves behind a flat bed that will eventually be completely eroded by waves in the course of mud bank migration.     

Preliminary hydrodynamic results of a field experiment on a barred beach, Truc Vert beach on October 2001

A field experiment conducted on a sandy barred beach, situated on the southern part of the French Atlantic coastline, allowed us to investigate the impact of the intertidal bar on the wave-energy dissipation on the beach face in presence of a high-energy long-incoming swell (significant wave height of about 1.7 to 3.0 m in 56 m water depth and significant wave period about 12 s). Data were collected along three parallel cross-shore transects deployed along an intertidal ridge and runnel system. Wave heights in the inner surf zone are depth-limited, consistent with previous works, and the wave-energy dissipation in the inner surf zone appears to be relatively independent of the offshore energy level. On the other hand, the presence of the bar seems to scatter the data. In models of surf-zone hydrodynamics, wave-energy dissipation is often parameterized in terms of , the ratio of the sea-swell significant wave height to the local mean water depth. The observed values of are not constant along a cross-shore transect, and increase onshore. Furthermore, the observed values observed onshore the intertidal bar are higher than those observed outside the influence of the intertidal bar, and this cannot be fully explained by the different local beach slope.Responsible Editor: Iris Grabemann     

A Markov model for beach changes on the holderness coast of England

Markov models offer an objective and quantitative method of assessing beach changes. For a stretch of the Holderness coast a beach classification scheme was devised and a probabilistic first order matrix model based on surveyed profile data was produced. This could describe and predict transitions between beach types and between different time periods. Different profile types dominated different coastal locations and seasonal variations were seen. In order to improve the accuracy of prediction throughout the year a second, ‘winter’, model was added to the original ‘summer’ one. Although the models had been prepared independently of wave conditions, a comparison of the wave record and beach transitions revealed that waves under 0·3–0·5 m high produced fairly static beaches; when waves were between 0·5 and 1·0 m the beach was more dynamic and variable, while waves over 1·0 m led to the depletion of the upper beach. This was broadly in accordance with published theory. Markov models have the advantage that they can be adjusted periodically if conditions change, and are thus useful for prediction on coasts for which no wave records exist.     

Field measurements of intertidal bar evolution on a high‐energy beach system

Nearshore bars play a pivotal role in coastal behaviour, helping to protect and restore beach systems particularly in post‐storm conditions. Examination of bar behaviour under various forcing conditions is important to help understand the short‐ to medium‐term evolution of sandy beach systems. This study carried out over a nine‐week period examines, the behaviour of three intertidal bars along a high energy sandy beach system in northwest Ireland using high‐frequency topographic surveys and detailed nearshore hydrodynamic modelling. Results show that, in general, there was onshore migration for all the bars during the study period, despite the variability observed between bars, which was driven mostly by wave dominated processes. Under the prevailing conditions migration rates of up to 1.83 m day^?1 and as low as 0.07 m day^?1 were observed. During higher wave energy events the migration rates of the bars decelerated in their onshore route, however, under lower wave energy conditions, they quickly accelerated maintaining their shoreward migration direction. Tidal influence appears to be subordinate in these conditions, being restricted to moderating the localized wave energy at low tides and in maintaining runnel configurations providing accommodation space for advancing slip faces. The study highlights the intricate behavioural patterns of intertidal bar behaviour along a high energy sandy coastline and provides new insights into the relative importance of wave and tidal forcing on bar behaviour over a relatively short time period. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal observations of rip current circulation on a macro-tidal beach

A field experiment was conducted on a high energy macro-tidal beach (Perranporth, UK) to examine rip current dynamics over a low-tide transverse bar/rip system in response to changing tide and wave conditions. Hydrodynamic data were collected using an array of in situ acoustic doppler current meters and pressure transducers, as well as 12 GPS-tracked Lagrangian surf zone drifters. Inter-tidal and sub-tidal morphology were measured through RTK-GPS and echo-sounder surveys. Data were collected for eight consecutive days (15 tides) over a spring-neap tidal cycle with tidal ranges of 4–6.5 m and offshore significant wave heights of 1–2 m and peak periods of 5–12 s.     

Behaviour of diesel fuel on a high energy beach

On 1 March 1984, a spill of diesel fuel and gasoline on the east coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada, resulted in significant contamination of the beach. Sediment and water samples analysed for oil concentration indicated that oil moved through the beach sediments in response to the tidal cycle and the subsequent changing water table levels. Concentrations tended to be low and variable in samples collected during a flood tide as the oil was driven through the sediments to the upper beach face. On the ebb, however, concentrations increased nearly five times as oil was released from the lowering water table onto the surface of the beach face. At low tide some residual oil remained trapped in the sediments, the amount correlating with the degree of sediment sorting (i.e. sediment porosity). In spite of high wave exposure, traces of fuel remained within 300 m of the spill site after 60 days. This suggests that light, unweathered oil is not mechanically abraded and dispersed in the same manner as more weathered oil; rather the light oil is released from the beach sediments principally during an ebbing tide, and wave action probably affects the cleaning of the beach in a minor capacity.     

The influence of nearshore sand bank dynamics on shoreline evolution in a macrotidal coastal environment,Calais, northern France

Analyses of shoreline and bathymetry change near Calais, northern coast of France, showed that shoreline evolution during the 20th century was strongly related with shoreface and nearshore bathymetry variations. Coastal erosion generally corresponds to areas of nearshore seabed lowering while shoreline progradation is essentially associated with areas of seafloor aggradation, notably east of Calais where an extensive sand flat experienced seaward shoreline displacement up to more than 300 m between 1949 and 2000. Mapping of bathymetry changes since 1911 revealed that significant variation in nearshore morphology was caused by the onshore and alongshore migration of a prominent tidal sand bank that eventually welded to the shore. Comparison of bathymetry data showed that the volume of the bank increased by about 10×10⁷ m³ during the 20th century, indicating that the bank was acting as a sediment sink for some of the sand transiting alongshore in the coastal zone. Several lines of evidence show that the bank also represented a major sediment source for the prograding tidal flat, supplying significant amounts of sand to the accreting upper beach. Simulation of wave propagation using the SWAN wave model (Booij et al., 1999) suggests that the onshore movement of the sand bank resulted in a decrease of wave energy in the nearshore zone, leading to more dissipative conditions. Such conditions would have increased nearshore sediment supply, favoring aeolian dune development on the upper beach and shoreline progradation. Our results suggest that the onshore migration of nearshore sand banks may represent one of the most important, and possibly the primary mechanism responsible for supplying marine sand to beaches and coastal dunes in this macrotidal coastal environment.