A Numerical Model of Coastal Processes of Sand Beaches Based on Long-Term Wave Series

A numerical model of shoreline change of sand beaches based on long-term field wave data is proposed, the explicit and implicit finite difference forms of the model are described, and an application of the model is presented. Results of the application indicate that the model is sensitive to the order of the input wave data, and that the effects of long-term wave series and the effects of the mean annual wave conditions on the model are different. Instead of a single wave condition, the wave series will make the calibration and the verification of the model more practical and the results of the model more reasonable.

Studies Concerning the Influence of the Wave Farms on the Nearshore Processes

The main objective of the present work is to evaluate the impact on the nearshore waves and coastal processes of a generic wave farm. The target area considered is in the Romanian nearshore, in the vicinity of the Mamaia sector, coastal environment usually subjected to a strong erosion process. A picture of the wave conditions in this coastal environment is first provided by analyzing some in situ data registered at the Gloria drilling unit, which operates offshore the area of interest at about 50 meters water depth. A high resolution numerical modeling framework was implemented in the target area. This is based on the SWAN spectral model (Simulating Waves Nearshore) for waves and the 1D circulation model SURF (or the Navy Standard Surf Model) to assess the nearshore currents. The presence of the farm in the computational domain was represented by using the command obstacle, which is available in SWAN, and considering various transmission and reflection coefficients. Different wave farm configurations have been considered by adjusting the transmission and the reflection coefficients associated with the wave farm, between a no farm scenario and a fully developed project (corresponding to the case of total absorption). The influence of the farm on the wave field was quantified by performing analyses in the geographical space concerning the variability of the significant wave height. The results look interesting and they indicate that besides the production of the electric power, the presence of the wave farms may have a positive influence on controlling the coastal processes, reducing the erosion and giving in general more stability to the coastal environment, especially during the extreme storm conditions.

The Late Quaternary Coastal Geo-Environment Evolution and Modern Process of Bohai Bay,China

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction is fundamental to understand the modern environmental changes and to predict future environment, which is especially critical to understand the evolution of land and sea during geological periods. However, the basic geological research on China＇s muddy coastal zone is not enough to provide quantitative data to compare with global changes. Therefore, in 2011, China Geological Survey deployed the ＂Late Quaternary geo-environmental evolution and modern process of China＂ project, and focused on the muddy coastal zones of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, the Yellow River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta （Fig. 1）. Next we will briefly introduce our latest results in the Bohai Bay.

Measuring and modeling suspended sediment concentration profiles in the surf zone

Time-averaged suspended sediment concentration profiles across the surf zone were measured in a large-scale three-dimensional movable bed laboratory facility (LSTF:Large-scale Sediment Transport Facility). Sediment suspension under two different types of breaking waves, spilling and plunging breakers, was investigated. The magnitudes and shapes of the concentration profiles varied substantially at different locations across the surf zone, reflecting the different intensities of breaking-induced turbulence. Sediment sus- pension at the energetic plunging breaker-line was much more active, resulting in nearly homogeneous concentration profiles throughout most of the water column, as compared to the reminder of the surf zone and at the spilling breaker-line. Four suspended sediment concentration models were examined based on the LSTF data, including the mixing turbulence length approach, segment eddy viscosity model, breaking-induced wave-energy dissipation approach, and a combined breaking and turbulence length model developed by this study. Neglecting the breaking-induced turbulence and subsequent sediment mixing, suspended sediment concentration models failed to predict the across-shore variations of the sediment suspension, especially at the plunging breaker-line. Wave-energy dissipation rate provided an accurate method for estimating the intensity of turbulence generated by wave breaking. By incorporating the breaking-induced turbulence, the combined breaking and turbulence length model reproduced the across-shore variation of sediment suspension in the surf zone. The combined model reproduced the measured time-averaged suspended sediment concentration profiles reasonably well across the surf zone.

Numerical simulations of morphological changes in barrier islands induced by storm surges and waves using a supercritical flow model

In this paper, an advanced explicit finite volume flow model in two-dimensions is presented for simulating supercritical coastal flows and morphological changes in a tidal/coastal inlet and barrier islands due to storm surges and waves. This flow mode/ is coupled with existing wave-action mode/and sediment transport mode/. The resulting integrated coastal process model is capable of simulating flows induced by extreme conditions such as waves, surge tides, river flood flows, etc., and morphological changes induced by rapid coastal currents and waves. This developed supercritical ftow model is based on the solution of the conservative form of the nonlinear shallow water equations with the effects of the Coriolis force, uneven bathymetry, wind stress, and wave radiation stresses. The forward Euler scheme is used for the unsteady term; and the convective term is discretized using the Godunov-type shock- capturing scheme along with the HLL Riemann solver on non-uniform rectilinear grids. The accuracy of the developed model is investigated by solving an experimental dam-break test case. Barrier island breaching, overflow and overwash due to severe storm attack are simulated and the predicted morphological changes associated to the events are analyzed to investigate the applicability of the model in a coast where all the physical forces are present.