Beach response to a sequence of extreme storms
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Authors
Coco, Giovanni
Senechal, N.
Rejas, A.
Bryan, K.R.
Capo, S.
Parisot, J.P.
Brown, J.A.
MacMahan, J.H.M.
Subjects
Nearshore
Storm
beach eroison
morphodynamics
beach survey
beach recovery
Storm
beach eroison
morphodynamics
beach survey
beach recovery
Advisors
Date of Issue
2013
Date
Publisher
Language
Abstract
A sequence of daily beach surveys acquired over one month covering an area larger than 100,000 m2, was analyzed
to study morphological changes resulting froma cluster of storms. The beach response was highly variable
in both the cross- and alongshore. A cumulative storm effect was not observed, despite one storm being characterized
by a 10-year return period that had significant wave height (Hs) of 8.1 m and a peak wave period (Tp) of
17 s. Instead, storms that can potentially cause significant erosion in terms of Hs had a limited effect on the morphology
because the large wave height was coupled to either neap tides, normally-incident short-waves
(f N 0.04 Hz), or low levels of infragravity (0.004 b f b 0.04 Hz) energy. Multiple linear regression analysis
shows that volumetric changes in the upper part of the beachface are explained by offshore wave characteristics
(period, height and direction), tidal range or by infragravity energy in the inner surf zone (assessed using pressure
and velocity measurements). The results indicate that it is not possible to scale-up single-storm erosion
studies into predictions of cluster-storm erosion.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.08.028
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding
Format
Citation
Coco, G., et al., Beach response to a sequence of extreme storms, Geomorphology (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.geomorph.2013.08.028
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.