The present study investigates longshore sediment transport for a variety of bathymetric and wave conditions using the National Oceanic Partnership Program (NOPP) NearCoM Model. The model is used to determine the effects of wave shape and bathymetry changes on the resulting longshore sediment transport. The wave drivers, REF/DIF 1 and REF/DIF S, are used to assess the effects of monochromatic and spectral waves on longshore sediment transport, respectively. SHORECIRC is used as the circulation module and four different sediment transport models are used. Longshore transport comparisons are made with and without skewed orbital velocities in the shear stress and current velocities. It is found that the addition of skewed orbital velocities in shear stress and transport formulations increases longshore sediment transport by increasing time-varying effective shear stress. The addition of skewed orbital velocities greatly increases the transport due to advection by waves. The localized longshore sediment transport is calculated using a generic physics based method and formulas by Bagnold, Bailard, and Bowen, Watanabe, and Ribberink. The transport results for each scenario are compared to the total transport CERC, Kamphuis, and GENESIS formulas. The bathymetries tested include an equilibrium beach profile, cusped beach profiles, and barred beach profiles with different bar locations. The longshore transport on an equilibrium beach profile is modeled for a 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm grain size and transport is compared to the CERC formula. The longshore sediment transport for d=0.2 mm is larger than d=0.4 mm when wave power is small, but as wave power increases the transport for the larger grain size dominates. The transport is also affected by the addition of cusps and bars on an equilibrium beach profile. The barred beach is modified to compare transport between waves breaking at the bar, before the bar, and after the bar. The features affect the transport when the wave powers are small, but as wave heights increase the cusp and bar features induce little change on the longshore sediment transport.

We develop a stochastic parametrization, based on a 'simple' deterministic model for the dynamics of steady longshore currents, that produces ensembles that are statistically consistent with field observations of these currents. Unlike deterministic models, stochastic parameterization incorporates randomness and hence can only match the observations in a statistical sense. Unlike statistical emulators, in which the model is tuned to the statistical structure of the observation, stochastic parametrization are not directly tuned to match the statistics of the observations. Rather, stochastic parameterization combines deterministic, i.e physics based models with stochastic models for the "missing physics" to create hybrid models, that are stochastic, but yet can be used for making predictions, especially in the context of data assimilation. We introduce a novel measure of the utility of stochastic models of complex processes, that we call consistency of sensitivity. A model with poor consistency of sensitivity requires a great deal of tuning of parameters and has a very narrow range of realistic parameters leading to outcomes consistent with a reasonable spectrum of physical outcomes. We apply this metric to our stochastic parametrization and show that, the loss of certainty inherent in model due to its stochastic nature is offset by the model's resulting consistency of sensitivity. In particular, the stochastic model still retains the forward sensitivity of the deterministic model and hence respects important structural/physical constraints, yet has a broader range of parameters capable of producing outcomes consistent with the field data used in evaluating the model. This leads to an expanded range of model applicability. We show, in the context of data assimilation, the stochastic parametrization of longshore currents achieves good results in capturing the statistics of observation that were not used in tuning the model.

As part of a beach erosion field experiment conducted at Cape Hatteras, NC in February 2010, this study focuses on quantifying longshore currents, which are the basic mechanism that drives longshore sediment transport. Using video imagery, the longshore currents in view of a video camera are estimated with the Optical Current Meter technique and the nearshore morphology is estimated by analyzing breaking wave patterns in standard deviation images. During a Nor‟easter storm event on February 12 and 13, 2010, the video longshore currents are compared to in situ data and it is found that the currents are most affected by the angle of incidence of incoming waves, increasing in magnitude as the angle becomes more oblique due to a larger component of radiation stress forcing in the longshore direction. The magnitude of the radiation stress forcing, which is at least an order of magnitude larger than the surface wind stress, increases as wave height increases or tide level decreases, which causes more wave breaking to occur. The normalized standard deviation images show wave breaking occurring at an inshore and offshore location, corresponding closely to the locations of an inner and outer bar indicated in survey data. Using two profiles from the survey data, one profile that intersects a trough and one that intersects a terrace, the video currents are also compared to currents simulated in one-dimension using the circulation module, SHORECIRC, and the wave module, REF/DIF-S, as part of the NearCoM system. Although the simulated currents greatly underpredict the video currents when the flow is only driven by radiation stresses, a mean water level difference between the two profiles creates a longshore pressure gradient. Superimposing a pressure gradient forcing term into the longshore momentum balance that assumes an equilibrium state of the flow, the magnitude of the simulated currents are much larger than the magnitude of the video estimated currents. Using analytical solutions of simplified forms of the mass and momentum equations to determine the effects of accelerations on the flow, it is seen that the acceleration term greatly affects the flow due to the relatively large mean water level difference that acts over a relatively short distance. Therefore, the pressure gradient forcing term is modified to include the effects of accelerations. By including the two-dimensional effects of the acceleration in the one-dimensional model through the modified pressure gradient, the quasi two-dimensional model simulated currents are very similar to the video estimated currents, indicating that the currents observed in the video may be pressure gradient driven.

Os ambientes costeiros podem ser caracterizados por sua grade dinâmica, onde existe o embate entre o continente e o mar. A dinâmica sedimentar da linha de costa constitui conhecimento básico em obras de engenharia e na compreensão do ambiente costeiro. Buscou-se compreender os mecanismos do funcionamento dinâmico da região em torno do Porto de Tubarão, Vitória-ES, através de análises de marés, de clima de ondas, agitação marítima, de correntes induzidas por ondas e transporte sedimentar. Os resultados permitiram algumas interpretações tanto de curtíssimo prazo como de longo prazo. As correntes de marés são particularmente importantes, sobretudo próximo as bocas dos canais de Vitória e da Passagem atingindo valores de até 0,.7m/s. As ondas atingem a área com alturas significativas variadas, dependendo do grau de exposição. Na praia de Camburi as ondas dificilmente ultrapassam 1 metro de altura significativa, enquanto na praia Mole ondas de 2.5m de altura significativa ocorrem com certa freqüência. A direção da corrente na praia Mole está diretamente relacionadas com as direções de incidência das ondas variando de NE até SW, enquanto sua intensidade está relacionada com as alturas e períodos, variando de 0 até 0.44 m/s. A praia de Camburi, por sua vez apresenta correntes rumo ENE independente da direção de propagação das ondas ao largo da Baia do Espírito Santo. As velocidades médias variam entre 0 e 0,3 m/s. O porto de tubarão serve de abrigo às ondas, influenciando na direção média do fluxo de energia nas praias adjacentes. A longo prazo a tendência da praia de Camburi é de sofrer uma rotação acentuando os processos erosivos na porção ocidental. / The coastal zones can be characterized by the huge dynamic battle, continent forces against the ocean forces. The sedimentary dynamic of the coast line is a basic knowledge necessary to carry out engineering features and to understand the natural coastal environment. This work tried to understand the mechanisms that control those dynamics in the region near to the Tubarão Harbour, Vitória- ES. The effects of the tides, wind generated wave clima, wave induced currents and sedimentary transport was analyzed in short and long terms. In short terms, tide currents are specially important near the estuaries mouth (Vitória and Passagem channels), with velocities reaching 0.7m/s. The waves reach the coast line with different significant wave heights, depending on the each site expositions to in coming waves. At Cambury beach the waves hardly gets significant wave height over 1meter, in other hand, at Mole beach, waves with 2,5m significant wave height are quite often. At Mole beach, wave induced currents directions are directly correlated with the wave direction in outside zones, oscillating between NE and SW directions. The current velocities, which depends on wave height and wave period, presents values between 0 and 0,44 m/s. At Cambury beach the currents always goes to ENE, independent of outside wave directions. The velocities varies between 0 and 0,3 m/s. The Tubarão harbour acts like a wall creating shadows for the incident waves in the beaches behind. In long terms, the Mole beach seems to be stable and Cambury Beach seems to rotate some degrees of it mean direction, with the intensifications of the erosional process in the oriental portion of the beach.

Os ambientes costeiros podem ser caracterizados por sua grade dinâmica, onde existe o embate entre o continente e o mar. A dinâmica sedimentar da linha de costa constitui conhecimento básico em obras de engenharia e na compreensão do ambiente costeiro. Buscou-se compreender os mecanismos do funcionamento dinâmico da região em torno do Porto de Tubarão, Vitória-ES, através de análises de marés, de clima de ondas, agitação marítima, de correntes induzidas por ondas e transporte sedimentar. Os resultados permitiram algumas interpretações tanto de curtíssimo prazo como de longo prazo. As correntes de marés são particularmente importantes, sobretudo próximo as bocas dos canais de Vitória e da Passagem atingindo valores de até 0,.7m/s. As ondas atingem a área com alturas significativas variadas, dependendo do grau de exposição. Na praia de Camburi as ondas dificilmente ultrapassam 1 metro de altura significativa, enquanto na praia Mole ondas de 2.5m de altura significativa ocorrem com certa freqüência. A direção da corrente na praia Mole está diretamente relacionadas com as direções de incidência das ondas variando de NE até SW, enquanto sua intensidade está relacionada com as alturas e períodos, variando de 0 até 0.44 m/s. A praia de Camburi, por sua vez apresenta correntes rumo ENE independente da direção de propagação das ondas ao largo da Baia do Espírito Santo. As velocidades médias variam entre 0 e 0,3 m/s. O porto de tubarão serve de abrigo às ondas, influenciando na direção média do fluxo de energia nas praias adjacentes. A longo prazo a tendência da praia de Camburi é de sofrer uma rotação acentuando os processos erosivos na porção ocidental. / The coastal zones can be characterized by the huge dynamic battle, continent forces against the ocean forces. The sedimentary dynamic of the coast line is a basic knowledge necessary to carry out engineering features and to understand the natural coastal environment. This work tried to understand the mechanisms that control those dynamics in the region near to the Tubarão Harbour, Vitória- ES. The effects of the tides, wind generated wave clima, wave induced currents and sedimentary transport was analyzed in short and long terms. In short terms, tide currents are specially important near the estuaries mouth (Vitória and Passagem channels), with velocities reaching 0.7m/s. The waves reach the coast line with different significant wave heights, depending on the each site expositions to in coming waves. At Cambury beach the waves hardly gets significant wave height over 1meter, in other hand, at Mole beach, waves with 2,5m significant wave height are quite often. At Mole beach, wave induced currents directions are directly correlated with the wave direction in outside zones, oscillating between NE and SW directions. The current velocities, which depends on wave height and wave period, presents values between 0 and 0,44 m/s. At Cambury beach the currents always goes to ENE, independent of outside wave directions. The velocities varies between 0 and 0,3 m/s. The Tubarão harbour acts like a wall creating shadows for the incident waves in the beaches behind. In long terms, the Mole beach seems to be stable and Cambury Beach seems to rotate some degrees of it mean direction, with the intensifications of the erosional process in the oriental portion of the beach.