Role of morphological interactions in governing the whole wave-dominated sandy BARred-BEaCh system – BARBEC
Role of morphological interactions in governing the whole wave-dominated sandy BARred-BEaCh system
To target the beach system as a whole to investigate how each element behaves in relation to the others, ultimately to understand the beach system as a whole
To better understand the dynamics of one of the most attractive and complex coastal environments
Among all the coastal environments sandy coasts are nowadays one of the most attractive areas generating significant amounts of tourist revenue and creating thousands of businesses and employment opportunities. Wide and healthy sandy beaches are therefore of major interest from the perspective of recreational and economic activity. In contrast to these positive economic and lifestyle assets, wave-dominated sandy beaches are the most unpredictable, dynamic and vulnerable coastal systems.<br /><br />The general objective of this project is to understand the dynamics of wave-dominated sandy beaches. Wave-dominated beaches are characterized by sandy patterns that cover a wide and striking variety of temporal and spatial scales of variability (ripples, mega-ripples, sandbars, connected offshore geological patterns). Overall, except in scarce papers, international coastal community systematically studied in isolation each element in wave-dominated nearshore systems, and studies encompassing all these elements are non-existent. The potential importance of morphological feedbacks for understanding and predicting the beach system as a whole has only been very recently touched upon in the nearshore literature. Our research group was pioneered this field. We showed evidence the behaviour of the individual elements of the surfzone system contrasts with the behaviour of the whole interconnected system, suggesting that the approach of studying each element in isolation can result in dangerously contradictory results. This stimulated the development of the BARBEC project.<br /><br />In BARBEC, we will target the beach system as a whole to investigate how each element behaves in relation to the others, ultimately to understand the beach system as a whole.<br />
Our proposed work is to combine cutting-edge non-linear morphodynamic modelling, both existing and novel high-quality in-situ dataset (comprising decadal storm data of swash zone and beach face evolution) and innovative physical modelling to explore high-energy sandy barred-beach dynamics.
Overall, BARBEC will increase our understanding of wave-dominated beach systems. Despite this is not a primary objective of BARBEC, results and developments during the project will also allow a more accurate evaluation of potential response of sandy coastlines to climate change.
BARBEC is a key step to the development of an operational accurate sandy beach evolution model (O(1-100 km) – (1 – 10 yrs)).
The 2000-characters limit prevent puting the full list of publication (updated on June 2012):
- 18 publications in international peer-reviewed journals
- 16 communications in international conferences
- 7 communications in national conferences
- 2 actions of public outreach
(Consulter le rapport à mi-parcours pour le détail de la liste)
The general objective of this project is to understand the dynamics of wave-dominated sandy beaches that are the most unpredictable, dynamic and vulnerable coastal systems. Wave-dominated beaches are characterized by sandy patterns that cover a wide and striking variety of temporal and spatial scales of variability (ripples, mega-ripples, sandbars, connected offshore geological patterns). The most both ubiquitous and important patterns are surfzone sandbars(s) that are alongshore ridges of sand that are typically observed in the 0- to 10-m depth nearshore region. Nearshore sandbars provide natural protection for beaches by causing waves to dissipate away from the shoreline through depth-induced breaking resulting in lower inshore wave energy and reduction of swash zone processes and potential extreme wave run-up which is the critical component to inundation as well as dune and cliff erosion. Surfzone sandbar geometry is also sometimes mirrored at the shoreline with resulting mega-cusps and erosion hot-spots. Surfzone sandbars are therefore a key element of the nearshore system.
Overall, except in scarce papers, international coastal community systematically studied in isolation each element in wave-dominated nearshore systems, that is, offshore geological templates, surfzone sandbar(s) and the beach face and studies encompassing all these elements are non-existent. The potential importance of morphological feedbacks for understanding and predicting the beach system as a whole has only been very recently touched upon in the nearshore literature. Our research group has pioneered this field: there has been recently evidence that the behaviour of the individual elements of the surfzone system contrasts with the behaviour of the whole interconnected system, suggesting that the approach of studying each element in isolation can result in dangerously contradictory results.
The work we propose in ANR BARBEC is to target the beach system as a whole to investigate how each element behaves in relation to the others, ultimately to understand the beach system as a whole. Our proposed work is thus to combine cutting-edge non-linear morphodynamic modelling, both existing and novel high-quality in-situ dataset (comprising decadal storm data of swash zone and beach face evolution) and innovative physical modelling to explore high-energy sandy barred-beach dynamics.
This research project leans on an internationally-acknowledged expertise of EPOC and LEGI in the field of wave-dominated sandy beach morphodynamics. BARBEC project will strengthen these collaborations between the young researchers, working on complementary topics and benefiting from the experience of senior researchers. Noteworthy BARBEC will also lean on the continuous collaboration with various internationally-acknowledged senior researchers from The Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA. BARBEC will therefore enforce collaborations of EPOC and LEGI with international institutions
Project coordination
Bruno Castelle (UNIVERSITE BORDEAUX 1) – bruno.castelle@u-bordeaux.fr
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partner
EPOC UNIVERSITE BORDEAUX 1
Help of the ANR 155,000 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
- 36 Months
