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Interaction between breaking/broken waves and infragravity-scale phenomena to control sediment suspension transport in the surf zone

Interaction between breaking/broken waves and infragravity-scale phenomena to control sediment suspension transport in the surf zone

http://hdl.handle.net/10204/1492
http://hdl.handle.net/10204/1492
 
Reference:
Smith, GG and Mocke, GP. 2002. Interaction between breaking/broken waves and infragravity-scale phenomena to control sediment suspension transport in the surf zone. Marine Geology, vol. 187, 04 March, pp 329-345
Smith, G., & Mocke, G. (2002). Interaction between breaking/broken waves and infragravity-scale phenomena to control sediment suspension transport in the surf zone. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/1492
Smith, GG, and GP Mocke "Interaction between breaking/broken waves and infragravity-scale phenomena to control sediment suspension transport in the surf zone." (2002) http://hdl.handle.net/10204/1492
Smith G, Mocke G. Interaction between breaking/broken waves and infragravity-scale phenomena to control sediment suspension transport in the surf zone. 2002; http://hdl.handle.net/10204/1492.
 
Smith, GG
Mocke, GP
 
30 Jul 2002
 
Wave breaker turbulence
Surf zones
Sediment suspension
Optical backscatter sensor
Sediment transport
 
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Time series of near-bed sediment, water-level and velocity were measured in the field and laboratory and analysed to investigate (a) the role of breaking/broken waves, (b) the predominance of infragravity-scale transport processes in the surf zone, and (c) the influence of infragravity processes in creating the right conditions for suspension by breaking/broken waves. Instantaneous suspended sediment concentrations were measured using optical backscatter sensors, which were found to be sensitive to sediment size, cohesive sediment in suspension and bubbles. A simple numerical filter was applied to remove the erroneous bubble signal. Suspension was found to be correlated with wave breaker bores and an associated increase in high-frequency velocities, the latter deemed to be caused by surface-generated turbulence. Infragravity-scale sediment transport flux was found to be more significant than incident-scale flux in the transition and inner surf zones. Sediment suspension was further found to be related to the onset of lower water-levels associated with infragravity wave action, which corresponded with a predominance of breaking/broken waves. These breaking/broken waves (which are induced by the low water-level) are deemed to be the cause of this suspension.
 

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