Suspended Sediment Transport in Rip Currents on a Macrotidal Beach

In this study high frequency surface elevation and current velocity data were collected alongside suspended sediment concentrations in a rip channel on a high energy, macro-tidal beach. At low tide, when the rip current was active, net suspended sediment transport was directed offshore, and 88% of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of coastal research 2013-01, Vol.2 (65), p.1880-1880
Main Authors: Thorpe, Antony, Miles, Jon, Masselink, Gerd, Russell, Paul, Scott, Tim, Austin, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beaches
Channels
Fluctuations
Flux
Ocean currents
Offshore
Offshore engineering
Rip currents
Sediment transport
Sediments
Suspended sediments
Tides
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Summary:In this study high frequency surface elevation and current velocity data were collected alongside suspended sediment concentrations in a rip channel on a high energy, macro-tidal beach. At low tide, when the rip current was active, net suspended sediment transport was directed offshore, and 88% of the flux was due to the mean flow component. The rip current was found to pulse at very low frequencies (VLF) and this contributed significantly to offshore sediment transport, accounting for 48% of total oscillatory flux. For comparison, at mid-tide the total suspended sediment flux was in the offshore direction and four times less than during low tide. The mean flux accounted for 34% of the total transport at mid-tide. At high tide the total sediment transport was in the onshore direction due to the incident waves, with a 0% contribution from the mean flux.
ISSN:0749-0208
1551-5036
DOI:10.2112/SI65-318