Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (Aug 2021)

The Effects of Tidal Translation on Wave and Current Dynamics on a Barred Macrotidal Beach, Northern France

  • Arnaud Héquette,
  • Adrien Cartier,
  • François G. Schmitt

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9080909
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 8
p. 909

Abstract

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Barred macrotidal beaches are affected by continuous horizontal displacements of different hydrodynamic zones associated with wave transformation (shoaling, breaker and surf zones) due to significant tide-induced water level changes. A series of wave and current meters, complemented by a video imagery system, were deployed on a barred beach of northern France during a 6-day experiment in order to characterize the spatial and temporal variability of wave-induced processes across the beach. Wave and current spectral analyses and analyses of cross-shore current direction and asymmetry resulted in the identification of distinct hydrodynamic processes, including the development of infragravity waves and offshore-directed flows in the breaker and surf zones. Our results revealed a high spatial variability in the hydrodynamic processes across the beach, related to the bar-trough topography, as well as significant variations in the directions and intensity of cross-shore currents at fixed locations due to the horizontal translation of the different hydrodynamic zones resulting from continuous changes in water level due to tides.

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