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Tidal asymmetry in suspended sand transport on a macrotidal intermediate beach |
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| Authors: | Mark A Davidson Paul E Russell David A Huntley Jack Hardisty |
| Institution: | a Marine Geosciences Group, Department of Geology, University of Wales, P.O. Box 914, Cardiff CF1 3YE, UK b Institute of Marine Studies, Polytechnic South-West, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK c School of Geography, The University, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK |
| Abstract: | Time-series of nearbed horizontal flow velocities and suspended sediment concentrations obtained from a colocated electromagnetic current meter (EMCM) and optical backscatter sensor (OBS), respectively, are used to examine the relative importance of steady and fluctuating components to the total sediment transport over a full tidal cycle on a macrotidal, intermediate beach (Spurn Head, UK). Fluctuating sediment fluxes are decomposed into gravity and infragravity contributions using co-spectral techniques. The relative importance of the oscillatory (gravity and infragravity) and steady (mean) transport components to the total sediment transport is analysed throughout the tidal cycle. A continuum of 34 discrete suspended sediment-cross-shore velocity co-spectra are computed over a full tidal cycle for the OBS and EMCM measurements 0.10 m above the bed. These net transport spectra vary greatly both with cross-shore location and tidal state. In particular, a marked asymmetry in transport processes is evident between the flood and ebb tides, with high levels of sediment resuspension and transport occurring on the ebbing tide approximately two hours after high water (just seaward of the breakpoint). At this time the dominant transport was directed offshore (co-spectral peak, 0.04 kg/m2/s) at incident wave frequency. Typical patterns are observed in transport spectra outside the surf zone and within the inner surf zone. Outside the narrow surf zone cross-shore transport spectra show weak offshore transport (co-spectral peak = 0.002 kg/m2/s) associated with bound long waves and stronger onshore transport (co-spectral peak = 0.006 kg/m2/s) at incident wave frequencies. Conversely, co-spectra computed within the inner surf zone show the offshore sediment fluxes (spectral peak = 0.010 kg/m2/s) at infragravity frequencies to be greater in magnitude than the corresponding onshore transport (co-spectral peak = 0.008 kg/m2/s) occurring at incident wave frequencies. |
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