Beach recovery from extreme storm activity during the 2013–14 winter along the Atlantic coast of Europe

The storm sequence of the 2013–14 winter left many beaches along the Atlantic coast of Europe in their most eroded state for decades. Understanding how beaches recover from such extreme events is essential for coastal managers, especially in light of potential regional increases in storminess due to climate change. Here we analyse a unique dataset of decadal beach morphological changes along the west coast of Europe to investigate the post-2013–14 winter recovery. We show that the recovery signature is site specific and multi-annual, with one studied beach fully recovered after 2 years, and the others only partially recovered after 4 years. During the recovery phase, winter waves primarily control the timescales of beach recovery, as energetic winter conditions stall the recovery process whereas moderate winter conditions accelerate it. This inter-annual variability is well correlated with climate indices. On exposed beaches, an equilibrium model showed significant skill in reproducing the post-storm recovery and thus can be used to investigate the recovery process in more detail. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the response of a double-barred sandy beach system to time-varying wave angles

Sandy beaches typically have one or more shore-parallel bars with superimposed smaller-scale three-dimensional (3D) bars. Knowledge of their morphodynamic behaviour under more realistic wave conditions is limited. This study investigates the response of beaches with two shore-parallel bars to sinusoidally time-varying angles of incidence, using a non-linear morphodynamic model. Different periods and amplitudes of this sinusoidal variation are considered, as well as different time-mean wave angles. For time-invariant and normally incident waves, results show that alongshore rhythmic 3D bars form in the domains of inner and outer shore-parallel bars. The 3D bars in the inner domain are coupled at half the outer-bars wavelength. This phase coupling breaks up when the wave angle varies in time. Initially, regular 3D bars form in the inner domain (free behaviour), which become irregular when 3D bars develop in the outer domain (forced behaviour). The heights of the 3D bars oscillate with time, reaching maximum values when the forcing period is comparable to the system adjustment time scale (∼ 10–20 days). For a time-varying wave angle around an oblique mean, alongshore migrating 3D bars emerge in both inner and outer domains. In contrast, for an oblique (constant) wave angle, 3D bars only form in the inner domain and they hardly migrate alongshore. For any forcing period, the dominant response period of the oscillating bar heights is at half the forcing period when waves are (on average) normally incident, and it equals the forcing period when waves are on average obliquely incident. Compared with time-invariant angles, heights of inner and outer 3D bars are (on average) smaller and larger, respectively, when the angle varies with time, particularly for forcing periods in the order of the system adjustment time scale. Increasing the amplitude of the time-varying wave angle weakens bar growth. Explanations of these results are also provided.     

中英海滨污染美学的比较研究

在西方从美学的角度研究海滨环境质量是近３０年的事,近些年来发展更快,发表了一系列文章,对滨海环境的评价主要脸地形地貌、生态植被和水体的环境质量,其中尤其是对水体的评价显得更为重要,将水质分为优质水和劣质水。优质水体表现为洁净、生物丰富、有鱼、水鸟、没有垃圾等;而劣质水则呈深色、漂浮着垃圾、泡沫、死鱼、水底为油污,缺少生物,发出令人难以接受的恶臭等气味。传统环境质量监测可用物理、化学、生物方法进行,并有一系列量化指标,而美学对地貌、环境、垃圾、泡沫、噪声的评价就比较困难,没有统一的标准,只能凭感官、视觉和心理反应做出评价。例如,对海滨垃圾的测量方法也处在初级阶段,不同的机构,不同的研究人员采用不同的方法,在时空上进行对比也非常困难。通常我们采用了采访和问卷的两种调查方式,同时配合出示彩色图片或录相来进行,由于人们的文化背景、经不同,对环境质量从美学上认识有一定差距,故对环境、海岸评价带来一定困难,但原始的、未被破坏的自然景观,被西方人认为是最美,近就是油画、水彩画半自然风光做成永恒主题,经久不衰的原因。中国海滨污染从美学上进行研究还没有起步,,但客观上,我们已经感受到了污染的存在,例如,沿海滨的垃圾,瓢浮在海面上的塑料袋、油污、泡沫、海草、死鱼等;许多污水不经处理直接入海,散发着恶臭……这一切都对生态环境,特别是滨海旅游业发展造成了严重影响,随着中国工业的快速发展,在海岸带局地区造成的污染还将加重。法律保护广大群众的健康,面对法规和广大公众关心海滨环境的压力,英国政府和企业投巨资以便改进滨海环境质量,威尔士最大的自来水公司威尔士水公司于１９９５－２０００年将花费６亿英镑（１０亿美元）用于改进威尔士的污水处理系统（只有２万km^2面积３００万人口）。中国可以从英国经济发展过程中吸取教训,控制好烟、尘、油和固体废弃物向海洋的倾倒。否则,要付出沉痛的代价的。     

山东半岛若干平直砂岸近期强烈蚀退及其后果

近几十年来,大洋海面的可能上升,引起了世界性的砂岸蚀退。山东半岛的砂岸,不仅受这世界性因素的影响,而且因河流入海泥沙被水库拦截,工农业超采地下水,径流濒于枯竭,以及人工过量采砂,造成海滩砂亏损约2000万吨/年。半岛平直砂岸的蚀退率达2米/年左右,远高于世界上同类砂岸的蚀退率。因此,冲毁了某些海滩防风林,威胁着良田和建筑物的安全,咸化了地下水。未来将日益严重,必需引起有关方面的严重关注,迅速采取措施,合理开发海滩,筑堤防岸,建立建全海岸保护法。     

华南沿海海滩状态和演变

根据华南沿海不同区域和不同形态海滩的地形和碎波参数计算分析，得出本区存在着４种平均海滩状态：（１）消散优势型海滩；（２）沿岸坝－槽型海滩；（３）沿岸坝沟或低潮阶地型海滩；（４）反射优势型海滩。华南海滩状态除有长期的侵蚀趋势外，存在明显的季节演变，它与波浪作用的变化关系密切；此外，人为建造的海岸工程也可引起海滩状态的变化，今后在其开发利用中必须予以注意。     

Variation in Surf-zone Fish Community Structure Across a Wave-exposure Gradient

Fluctuations in various attributes of a surf-zone fish community were examined by beach seining at a series of sites spanning a wave-exposure gradient in the Saldanha Bay–Langebaan Lagoon system, on the South African west coast. During April 1994, 24 species, totalling 25 676 individuals and 434 kg, were captured. Three teleosts,Atherina breviceps, Liza richardsoniiandPsammogobius knysnaensis, dominated numerically, while three elasmobranchs,Rhinobatos annulatus, Mustelus mustelusandMyliobatis aquila, dominated the biomass. Elasmobranchs displayed no discernible distribution patterns. Two important trends were, however, evident in the teleost catches: overall teleost abundance (mean density) increased markedly as wave exposure decreased; and highest species richness and diversity, and lowest dominance were both recorded at intermediate levels of exposure. A positive relationship between fish size and exposure was also evident for at least two of the species. These trends were attributed primarily to the availability and abundance of suitable food resources, and to physical disturbance introduced by breaking waves.     

Probabilistic Analysis for Seismic Stability of Beach Earth Embankment

The current safety factor method for evaluating earth embankment stability is not very rational since the assessment of slope stability is really an uncertainty problem. In order to consider the random property of this problem, the probabilistic analysis is introduced herein. Finally, the stability of a real beach earth embankment is analysed by means of the suggested probabilitic approach. It may be seen that the results of analysis can represent the numerical assessment of the degree of seismic stability.     

Forcing of large-scale cycles of coastal change at the entrance to Willapa Bay, Washington

Anomalous morphological features within large estuaries may be: (1) recorders of external forces that periodically overwhelm the normal morphodynamic responses to estuarine energy fluxes, and (2) possible predictors of cycles of future coastal change. At the entrance to Willapa Bay, Washington, chronic beach erosion and frequent coastal flooding are related to the historical northward channel migration that destroyed the protective sand spits of Cape Shoalwater. Northward channel migration since the late 1800s conforms to the long-term net sediment transport direction. What requires explanation is periodic southward relocation of the trunk channel by as much as 5 km, and attendant construction of moderately large sand spits on the north side of the bay such as Kindred Island, Tokeland Peninsula, and Cape Shoalwater.Both autocyclic and allocyclic processes may have been responsible for trunk channel realignment and associated spit deposition. Channel recycling may occur when the main channel becomes overextended to the north and the tidal flow is inefficient because of its decreased gradient and increased susceptibility to shoaling by the growth and migration of tidal sand ridges. Under those conditions trunk channel relocation would be facilitated by increased wave heights and water levels of El Niño winter storms. However, co-seismic subsidence is the most likely mechanism for abruptly increasing sand supply and longshore transport that would favor discrete periods of channel relocation and spit deposition. Unless external forcing changes sand supply and predominant sediment transport directions in the future, the relative rise in sea level, frequent winter storms, and local deficit in the sand budget assure that beach erosion will continue at the mouth of this large estuary.     

华南海岸岬间海滩地形动力状态类型研究

海滩地形动力状态分类对于理解近岸带动形动力过程、海滩浴场风险评估等方面有重要的意义。收集了华南51个岬间海滩波高、波周期、潮差和泥沙粒径等地形动力要素特征值,利用分层聚类分析方法,同时结合海滩相对潮差分类模型,对华南岬间海滩的类型进行了探讨,结果表明:(1)华南岬间海滩可以聚类成7个类型。通过与相关的现场观测比较,各类型在地形组合上具有各自的显著特征;(2)聚类分析结果能很好的区分中到大潮差海岸与小潮差海滩之间的差异,与相对潮差模型结果一致。对于小潮差海滩,聚类结果与相对潮差模型有一定的差异,表明华南小潮差海滩的分类还需要进一步深入研究。     

广西万尾岛金滩沿岸输沙计算与分析

依据CERC公式,年内代表浪向作用下,广西万尾岛金滩平直岸滩中部泥沙分别向东西两侧净输沙,意味着金滩中部有淘刷趋势而两端有淤积趋势,而实际上岸滩中部滩面长年基本稳定、未有明显侵蚀现象。分析认为公式计算成果反映的输沙特征定性仍然是正确的,岸滩能够维持稳定是因为还存在自海向岸的横向输沙补给沙源。当岸滩并非平直且足够长时,应完整分析纵、横向输沙才能更为合理地反映岸滩泥沙运动特征。