Cross-Shore Suspended Sediment Transport in Relation to Topographic Changes in the Intertidal Zone of a Macro-Tidal Beach (Mariakerke, Belgium)

• Published in: Journal of marine science and engineering 2019-06, Vol.7 (6), p.172
• Main Authors: Brand, Evelien, De Sloover, Lars, De Wulf, Alain, Montreuil, Anne-Lise, Vos, Sander, Chen, Margaret
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accretion; acoustic backscatter; Acoustics; Beaches; Deposition; Field tests; Flow velocity; Fluid dynamics; Fluid flow; High tide; Hydrodynamics; Intertidal environment; Intertidal zone; Lasers; morphodynamics; Morphology; Ocean currents; Offshore; permanent terrestrial laser scanning; Qualitative analysis; Sediment; Sediment dynamics; sediment mixing; Sediment transport; Sensors; Storms; Suspended load; Suspended sediments; Tidal currents; Topography; Undertow; Wave height; Wave power
• ISSN: 2077-1312; 2077-1312
• DOI: 10.3390/jmse7060172

Sediment transport is a key element in intertidal beach morphodynamics, but measurements of sediment transport are often unreliable. The aim of this study is to quantify and investigate cross-shore sediment transport and the resulting topographic changes for a tide-dominated, sandy beach. Two fortnight-long field experiments were carried out during which hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics were measured with optical and acoustic sensors, while the beach topography was surveyed with a permanent terrestrial laser scanner. Suspended sediment was generally well-mixed and currents were largest at approximately 1.5 m above the bed, which resulted in a peak in sediment transport at 1/3 of the high tide level. The mean transport direction was onshore during calm conditions (wave height