There are only a few detailed measurements of the cross-shore variation in the net sediment transport and beach evolution for single or multiple swash events, and no data showing the influence of long waves and wave groups on swash zone morphology. Novel laboratory experiments and numerical modeling have been performed to study the influence of long waves and bichromatic wave groups on sediment transport and beach morphodynamics in the swash zone. Due to complex processes, difficulties in measuring, and very significant difficulties in isolating the morphodynamic processes induced by long waves and wave groups on natural beaches, a laboratory study was designed to measure in very high detail the bathymetric evolution of model sand beaches under monochromatic waves, long wave and short wave composites (free long waves), and bichromatic wave groups (forced long waves). Net sediment transport, Q(x), and beach morphology changes under the monochromatic waves were analyzed and compared to conditions with and without the free long waves, and then compared with the bichromatic wave groups. A range of wave conditions, e.g., high energy, moderate energy, and low energy waves, were used to obtain beach evolution ranging from accretionary to erosive, and including intermediate beach states. Hydrodynamics parameters, e.g., instantaneous water depths, wave amplitudes, run-up and rundown, were also measured to study and test a sediment transport model for the swash zone, based on modifying the energetic-bedload based sediment transport equations with suspended sediment. The experimental data clearly demonstrate that for the monochromatic wave conditions, beach evolution develops erosion for high steepness waves and accretion for lower steepness waves. The model beach profile evolutions are similar to natural beaches, and form and develop bars and berms over time. Adding a free long wave to the short wave in the composite wave results in changes to the overall trend of erosion/accretion of the beach profile, but the net transport pattern does not change significantly. The short wave strongly dominates beach behavior and the net transport rate, instead of the free long wave in the composite wave. The free long wave, however, carries more water and sediment onshore, leading to an increase in shoreline motion and wave run-up further landward. The long wave influences the structure and position of the swash bar/berm, which generally tends to move onshore and forms a larger swash bar/berm for higher long wave amplitudes. The free long wave also increases overall onshore sediment transport, and reduces offshore transport for erosive conditions. The long wave tends to protect the beach face and enhances onshore transport for accretive conditions, especially in the swash zone. In contrast, for bichromatic wave groups having the same mean energy flux as their corresponding monochromatic wave, the influence on sediment transports is generally offshore in both the surf and swash zone instead of onshore. The swash berm is, however, formed further landward compared with the berm of the corresponding monochromatic wave. The sediment transport patterns (erosion or accretion) generated by the bichromatic wave group or corresponding monochromatic wave are similar, but differ in magnitude. The numerical model, starting in the inner surf zone to reduce the effect of poor breaker description in the non-linear shallow water equations, can produce a good match between observed data and the modeled hydrodynamics parameters in the SZ. The sediment transport model shows the important role of suspended sediment in the swash zone. In contrast with the observed data, energetic-based bed-load models predict offshore sediment transport for most wave conditions because of negative skewness. The modified sediment transport model, with added suspended sediment terms and optimized coefficients, produces a good match between model results and observed data for each wave condition, especially for low frequency monochromatic waves. The optimized coefficient set corresponding to particular monochromatic wave conditions can be used to predict the net sediment transport quite well for some composite wave conditions. Overall, the same optimized coefficient sets can be applied to predict the correct overall trend of net transport for most composite wave conditions. However, the predicted net transport for the bichromatic wave groups does not match well with the overall net transport patterns. There is no set of single transport coefficients that can be used to predict sediment transport for all wave conditions. This suggests that the present sediment transport models cannot predict evolution correctly, even for conditions which represent only perturbation from those for which they were calibrated.

There are only a few detailed measurements of the cross-shore variation in the net sediment transport and beach evolution for single or multiple swash events, and no data showing the influence of long waves and wave groups on swash zone morphology. Novel laboratory experiments and numerical modeling have been performed to study the influence of long waves and bichromatic wave groups on sediment transport and beach morphodynamics in the swash zone. Due to complex processes, difficulties in measuring, and very significant difficulties in isolating the morphodynamic processes induced by long waves and wave groups on natural beaches, a laboratory study was designed to measure in very high detail the bathymetric evolution of model sand beaches under monochromatic waves, long wave and short wave composites (free long waves), and bichromatic wave groups (forced long waves). Net sediment transport, Q(x), and beach morphology changes under the monochromatic waves were analyzed and compared to conditions with and without the free long waves, and then compared with the bichromatic wave groups. A range of wave conditions, e.g., high energy, moderate energy, and low energy waves, were used to obtain beach evolution ranging from accretionary to erosive, and including intermediate beach states. Hydrodynamics parameters, e.g., instantaneous water depths, wave amplitudes, run-up and rundown, were also measured to study and test a sediment transport model for the swash zone, based on modifying the energetic-bedload based sediment transport equations with suspended sediment. The experimental data clearly demonstrate that for the monochromatic wave conditions, beach evolution develops erosion for high steepness waves and accretion for lower steepness waves. The model beach profile evolutions are similar to natural beaches, and form and develop bars and berms over time. Adding a free long wave to the short wave in the composite wave results in changes to the overall trend of erosion/accretion of the beach profile, but the net transport pattern does not change significantly. The short wave strongly dominates beach behavior and the net transport rate, instead of the free long wave in the composite wave. The free long wave, however, carries more water and sediment onshore, leading to an increase in shoreline motion and wave run-up further landward. The long wave influences the structure and position of the swash bar/berm, which generally tends to move onshore and forms a larger swash bar/berm for higher long wave amplitudes. The free long wave also increases overall onshore sediment transport, and reduces offshore transport for erosive conditions. The long wave tends to protect the beach face and enhances onshore transport for accretive conditions, especially in the swash zone. In contrast, for bichromatic wave groups having the same mean energy flux as their corresponding monochromatic wave, the influence on sediment transports is generally offshore in both the surf and swash zone instead of onshore. The swash berm is, however, formed further landward compared with the berm of the corresponding monochromatic wave. The sediment transport patterns (erosion or accretion) generated by the bichromatic wave group or corresponding monochromatic wave are similar, but differ in magnitude. The numerical model, starting in the inner surf zone to reduce the effect of poor breaker description in the non-linear shallow water equations, can produce a good match between observed data and the modeled hydrodynamics parameters in the SZ. The sediment transport model shows the important role of suspended sediment in the swash zone. In contrast with the observed data, energetic-based bed-load models predict offshore sediment transport for most wave conditions because of negative skewness. The modified sediment transport model, with added suspended sediment terms and optimized coefficients, produces a good match between model results and observed data for each wave condition, especially for low frequency monochromatic waves. The optimized coefficient set corresponding to particular monochromatic wave conditions can be used to predict the net sediment transport quite well for some composite wave conditions. Overall, the same optimized coefficient sets can be applied to predict the correct overall trend of net transport for most composite wave conditions. However, the predicted net transport for the bichromatic wave groups does not match well with the overall net transport patterns. There is no set of single transport coefficients that can be used to predict sediment transport for all wave conditions. This suggests that the present sediment transport models cannot predict evolution correctly, even for conditions which represent only perturbation from those for which they were calibrated.

Thesis (Ph.D.). / Written for the Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences, Macdonald College of McGill University. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/07/24). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-98). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [122]-141).

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Bibliography: leaves 87-94. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Berkeley, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-117).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-46). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Simultaneous in-situ measurements of waves, currents, water depth, suspended sediment concentrations and bed profiles were made in a rip channel on Perranporth Beach, Cornwall, UK. Perranporth is a high energy beach (annual offshore Hs = 1.6 m) which is macro-tidal (mean spring range = 6.3 m) and the grain size is medium sand (D50 = 0.28 – 0.34 mm). It can be classified as a low tide bar – rip beach and exhibits a relatively flat inter-tidal zone with pronounced rhythmic low tide bar - rip morphology. Data were collected over two field campaigns, totalling 14 tidal cycles and including 27 occurrences of rip currents, in a range of offshore wave heights (Hs = 0.5 – 3 m). The in-situ measurements were supplemented with morphological beach surveys. Sediment samples were taken for grain size analysis. The rip current was found to be tidally modulated. The strongest rip flow (0.7 m/s) occurred at mid to low tide, when waves were breaking on the adjacent bar. Rip flow persisted when the bar had dried out at the lowest tidal elevations. The rip was observed to pulse at a very low frequency (VLF) with a period of 15 - 20 minutes, which was shown to be influenced by wave breaking on the adjacent bar. The rip was completely in-active at high tide. Bedforms were ubiquitous in the rip channel and occurred at all stages of the tide. Visual observations found bedforms to be orientated shore parallel. When the rip was active, mean bedform length and height was 1.45 m and 0.06 m respectively. The size and position of the bedforms in the nearshore suggested that they were best classified as megaripples. When the rip was not active, the mean bedform length and height was 1.09 m and 0.06 m respectively. In rip conditions, with typical mean offshore flow rates of > 0.3 m/s, the bedforms migrated in an offshore direction at a mean rate of 0.16 cm/min and a maximum rate of 4.6 cm/min. The associated mean bedform sediment transport rate was 0.0020 kg/m/s, with a maximum rate of 0.054 kg/m/s. In the rip, migration rates were correlated with offshore directed mean flow strength. In non-rip conditions, bedform migration was onshore directed with a mean rate of 0.09 cm/min and a maximum rate of = 2.2 cm/min. The associated mean bedform transport rate was 0.0015 kg/m/s, with a maximum rate of = 0.041 kg/m/s. The onshore bedform transport was correlated with incident wave skewness, and was weakly correlated with orbital velocity. Over a tidal cycle, the offshore directed bedform transport was only marginally larger in rip currents than when it was when onshore directed in non-rip conditions. Sediment suspension in the rip current was shown to be dependent on the presence of waves. Suspended sediment transport was dominated by the mean flux. The mean flux contributed > 70% of total suspended transport on 19 out of the 27 observed rip current occurrences. The net contribution of the oscillatory flux was small compared to the mean flux. Within the oscillatory component, a frequency domain partitioning routine showed that the VLF motion was an important mechanism for driving offshore directed sediment transport. This was balanced by onshore directed sediment transport at incident wave frequency of a similar magnitude. Depth integration showed that the mean total suspended sediment transport was in the range of 0.03 kg/m/s to 0.08 kg/m/s. At high tide, when the rip was inactive suspended sediment transport rates were minimal compared to when the rip was active. Bedform transport was (on average) 6% of the total suspended sediment transport in a rip current. The new results presented here show that rip currents make an important contribution to offshore directed sediment transport. The magnitudes of transport indicate that future improvements to morphology change models should include rip driven offshore sediment transport.

The concept of the unit sediment graph is important and useful in the study of non-point source pollutant transport, in the estimation of sediment yield and in the design of sediment basins. At the present time, a physically sound method of deriving unit sediment graphs for ungauged small watersheds is not available. Based on synthetic principles as well as linear and time-invariant principles, applied to the systems approach of hydrology, a synthetic model has been developed to derive the unit sediment graph and to generate the sediment graph for an ungauged watershed. The model is limited to the generation of single peak sediment graphs where the sediment particle sizes of interest range from 0.002 mm to 1.0 mm. Seven small watersheds located in the lower Potomac River Basin were selected for this study. For each watershed about 12 storm events were included in the study. Available hourly rainfall and streamflow data were collected and used for model calibration. Results of both"spatial" and"temporal" verification show that agreement between the synthetic and actual sediment graphs is fairly good. A new rigorous definition regarding the unit sediment graph has been established. The study is based on a one-hour unit sediment graph which is defined as the direct sediment graph resulting from 1 unit of effective sediment yield of a storm of 1-hour duration generated uniformly over the basin at a uniform rate. Thus, the one-hour sediment graph of a storm for a specified watershed can be generated by convolving the one-hour unit sediment graph with the effective sediment erosion of one hour duration provided that the rainfall record and characteristics of that watershed are known. / Ph. D.