Understanding Shoreface Sediment Pathways Using a Lagrangian Framework
摘要
Sediment transport on the shoreface is influenced by waves, tides, and currents, creating pathways that redistribute sediment alongshore, and across-shore. Understanding these pathways is critical for coastal management, particularly for mitigating erosion and designing effective beach nourishment projects. While Eulerian models describe fluid and particle movement, Lagrangian approaches capture sediment trajectories, offering important insights into pathways and dispersion. This study presents a Lagrangian-based tool to estimate sediment pathways using Eulerian numerical model outputs, applied at Costinha Beach, Aveiro. Results reveal key transport processes influencing sediment dynamics and exchanges between the shoreface and adjacent zones. The particles exhibit consistent movement influenced by hydrodynamic forces like currents and waves. In shallow waters, particles are primarily transported by littoral drift parallel to the coast until they reach the shoreline. The combination of numerical modeling and Lagrangian analysis enhances understanding of sediment transport, particularly the fate of shoreface nourishments. This framework offers a valuable approach for improving sediment management strategies in dynamic coastal environments.