Process-based model for nearshore hydrodynamics, sediment transport and morphological evolution in the surf and swash zones

Hydrodynamics and sediment transport in the nearshore zone were modeled numerically taking into account turbulent unsteady flow. The flow field was computed using the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations with a k–ε turbulence closure model, while the free surface was tracked using the Volume-Of-Fluid technique. This hydrodynamical model was supplemented with a cross-shore sediment transport formula to calculate profile changes and sediment transport in the surf and swash zones. Based on the numerical solutions, flow characteristics and the effects of breaking waves on sediment transport were studied. The main characteristic of breaking waves, i.e. the instantaneous sediment transport rate, was investigated numerically, as was the spatial distribution of time-averaged sediment transport rates for different grain sizes. The analysis included an evaluation of different values of the wave friction factor and an empirical constant characterizing the uprush and backwash. It was found that the uprush induces a larger instantaneous transport rate than the backwash, indicating that the uprush is more important for sediment transport than the backwash. The results of the present model are in reasonable agreement with other numerical and physical models of nearshore hydrodynamics. The model was found to predict well cross-shore sediment transport and thus it provides a tool for predicting beach morphology change.