Topic 1.

1c Project 1

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A general equilibrium beach profile formulation

Ral Medina, Ana M. Bernabeu, Csar Vidal and Mauricio Gonzlez University of Cantabria email: mao@puer.unican.es

Abstract A general equilibrium beach profile formulation for reflective and dissipative beaches in tidal and non-tidal seas is presented. The formulation considers the different forcing due to breaking and non-breaking waves, the wave reflection from the beach and the tidal variation of the sea level. All the fitting parameters needed in the developed expressions are calibrated using data from several Spanish beaches.

Introduction
Despite of the efforts carried out, none of the existing equilibrium beach profile (EBP) expressions are able to adequately represent some well-known features of real beach profiles. Among these features are: a) the interaction between the surf and the shoaling part of the profile; b) the influence of the wave climate (summer-winter profiles) and the wave reflection from the beach on the profile shape; or c) the influence of the tide on the equilibrium shapes. In order to include some of these features, a general equilibrium beach profile formulation for reflective and dissipative beaches in tidal and non-tidal seas is presented.

Fundamentals of the model

Several approaches have been pursued in an attempt to characterize EBPs. One of the most popular is to consider the time-averaged wave energy flux equation for straight and parallel contours:

dF = dx

(1)

where F is the net shoreward energy flux per unit width and is the energy dissipation rate per unit area. Equation (1) allows taking into account wave reflection from the beach for those cases where this process is not negligible. In this case the net shoreward energy flux F must be computed considering the incident Fi and the reflected Fr energy fluxes. dFi dFr = dx dx (2)

In order to solve equation (2), Thornton and Guza (1983) dissipation model is used. This dissipation model considers both breaking and frictional effects and can be used to represent breaking and non-breaking waves, allowing the extension of Dean's (1977) EBP formulation to the shoaling portion of the profile. The resulting equilibrium beach profile expression treats the shoaling portion of the profile independently from the breaking portion. The two portions are matched at the breakpoint. Wave reflection from the beach is modelled following Baquerizo et al (1998). These authors postulated that the contribution to the flux of reflected wave energy per unit area of beach profile per unit incident wave energy, depends only on the local geometry, beach slope and depth change, and on the local wave length.

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h x= A

3 2

B
3

h
2

The final expressions for both portions of the profile are (see figure 1): B h 2 x= + h3 , 3 A A 2
3

0 x xb

h
b

b
3 2

D h 2 X = x x0 = + h3 , 3 C C 2
3 A 2 BD 3 x0 = xb 1 + hb 3 3 C 2 C 2

xb x

h X = C

D
3

h
2

(3)

Figure 1. Definition sketch of the equilibrium beach profile It is noted that both profiles are represented by a similar expression that depends on two parameters: A and C, which account for wave dissipation and B and D, which account for beach reflection. It is also noted that Dean's (1977) EBP is recovered for the breaking portion of the profile when B is equal to zero. The effect of the tide is included using Kriebel (1982) formulation for cross-shore transport, Q. That is, Q is proportional to the difference between the actual, D, and equilibrium, D*, wave energy dissipation. The condition for the profile to be in equilibrium is set so that the tidal-averaged net sediment transport is zero. It can be shown that the main effect of the tide is that it acts as a stretching factor that increases the length of the breaking profile. The higher the tidal range, the longer the profile.

Shape parameters calibration

In order to make equation (3) useful for predictive applications a relationship between the shape parameters (A, B, C, D) and the wave or the sediment characteristics must be provided. Over 50 profiles from 13 beaches along the Spanish coast have been best-fitted using equation (3). The available data include profile and sediment measurements compiled by Gmez-Pina (1995) and wave and tidal data recorded by the Spanish wave-recording system (REMRO). Mean grain size values are obtained as the average value of the shoreface samples. Wave height and period represent the monthly average value of the significant wave height and peak period at the closure depth, defined by Hallermeier's (1981) expression, prior to the profile measurement date. Expressions for the shape parameters are presented in figures 2, 3, 4, and 5.
0.2 5 0.2 0 0.1 5 0.1 0 0.0 5 0.0 0 0 1 0.0 1 1

0. 1

AR

AR = 0.21 - 0.02 (H/wT) R=0.72

2 3 4 5 6

0.00 1

B = 0.89(-1.24 * H/wT) e

(H/wT)

0.000 0 1

(H/wT) e
Figure 3. B parameter versus dimensionless fall velocity 2

Figure 2. A parameter versus dimensionless fall velocity

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0. C = 0.06 + 0.04 R= 0.66

0.

0.

0.

0.0

0.

0.00

D = 0.22 (-0.83 H/wT

0.00 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2

0.

(H/wT) e
Figure 4. C parameter versus dimensionless fall velocity

(H/wT) e
Figure 5. D parameter versus dimensionless fall velocity

Interaction between surf and shoaling profiles

The well-known and well-documented seasonal changes in beach profile in response to high waves of winter and the lower waves in summer can be analyzed by means of the surf and shoaling equilibrium profiles. An increase in wave height will have two effects on the equilibrium shape. Firstly the shoaling profile will become steeper as the shape parameter C increases. Secondly, the offshore limit of the surf profile will also increase due to the greater breaking depth. Assuming that the sand volume remains constant, the changes in seasonal equilibrium will be manifested by self-similar displacements of the two portions of the profile (surf and shoaling) as a consequence of changes in surf zone width and in the shape parameters, see figure 6.

Summer

hb1

hb2

Winter
Figure 6. Seasonal changes in a beach profile

Acknowledgements
This work is part of the research project "Surf and Swash Zone Mechanics" funded by the European Commission in the frame of the MAST programme under contract MAS3-CT97-0081.

References
Baquerizo, A., Losada, M. A., and Smith, J. M., (1998), Wave reflection from beaches: A predictive model, Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 14, No 1, pp. 291-298. Dean, R.G., (1977), Equilibrium beach profiles: U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, Department of Civil Engineering, Ocean Engineering Report No. 12, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware. Kriebel, D. L., (1982), Beach and Dune Response to Hurricanes, M.S. Thesis. University of Delaware. Thorton, E. B., and Guza, R. T., (1983), Transformation of wave height distribution, Journal of Geophysical Research. Vol. 18, pp. 5925-5938.