Experiments of wave-driven soil transport in clay beds

The physical processes of instability and soil mass transport in a soft clay bed by waves were quantitatively reproduced and measured in a laboratory soil-wave tank. Soft clays behave like plasto-elastic materials and dissipate wave energy quickly. Waves destroy clay fabrics gradually and soften clay. Waves induce mass transport of clay in the clay bed. The clay mass transport increases with wave energy. The Froude-Mach similitude is applied to the experimental data to hindcast the soil mass transport caused by Hurricane Camille in 1969.