Predicting marine and aeolian contributions to the Sand Engine's evolution using coupled modelling

Quantitative predictions of marine and aeolian sediment transport in the nearshore–beach–dune system are important for designing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in coastal environments. To quantify the impact of the marine-aeolian interactions on shaping NBS, we present a framework coupling three existing process-based models: Delft3D Flexible...

Subaqueous and Subaerial Beach Changes after Implementation of a Mega Nourishment in Front of a Sea Dike

Sandy nourishments can provide additional sediment to the coastal system to maintain its recreational or safety function under rising sea levels. These nourishments can be implemented at sandy beach systems, but can also be used to reinforce gray coastal infrastructure (e.g., dams, dikes, seawalls). The Hondsbossche Dunes project is a combined...

Observed Changes of a Mega Feeder Nourishment in a Coastal Cell: Five Years of Sand Engine Morphodynamics

Recently, mega feeder nourishments have been proposed as a new strategy to nourish sediment-starving beaches. This strategy involves the placement of a large, concentrated sediment volume at a single location along the coast. Wind, waves and currents act as the natural agents to spread the sediment alongshore over the course of years to decades....

Diffusion of a mega feeder nourishment: Assessing 5 years of Sand Engine spreading

Feeder nourishments, where sand quantities of O (10 million m³) are placed locally to feed adjacent coastal stretches, are suggested nowadays as an alternative for local, smaller-scale nourishments (< 1 million m³). These feeder nourishments rely on natural forces to spread the sediment. While processes that govern this spreading such as...

Long-term bar dynamics using satellite imagery: A case study at Anmok beach, South Korea

Nearshore sandbar patterns can affect the hydrodynamics and, as a result, the beach morphodynamics in the nearshore zone. Hence, spatial and temporal variability in the sandbars can influence beach accretion and erosion. Understanding the variability of the sandbar system can therefore be crucial for informed coastal zone management. So far, the...

Beach scarp evolution and prediction

Five years of beach topography data were examined to map the spatio-temporal patterns in beach scarp existence. Data of the Sand Engine were used, a mega scale nourishment implemented in 2011 at the Dutch coast. Topographic data were automatically and manually analyzed to recognize scarps in the dataset. Moments of destruction and persistence of...

Semi-Automated Monitoring of a Mega-Scale Beach Nourishment Using High-Resolution TerraSAR-X Satellite Data

This paper presents a semi-automated approach to detecting coastal shoreline change with high spatial- and temporal-resolution using X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. The method was applied at the Sand Motor, a “mega-scale” beach nourishment project in the Netherlands. Natural processes, like waves, wind, and tides, gradually...

Initial spreading of a mega feeder nourishment: Observations of the Sand Engine pilot project

Dune growth due to aeolian sediment transport and the role of the beach and intertidal zone

The development of dunes is characterized by the alternating effects of erosion during storm events and growth during milder conditions. The quantification of dune growth due to aeolian processes has received some attention but uncertainty remains on where the dune sand, which accommodates growing dunes, originates from in the coastal profile....

Measured gradientsin alongshore sediment transport along the Dutch coast

In this paper it is aimed to quantify bulk (surf-zone integrated) alongshore sediment transport using morphological data collected along the Dutch coast. The collected morphological data covers a domain of 18 km alongshore including the beach, the foreshore and the intertidal zone in the cross shore. The measurement domain contains the 20...

Impact of nourishments on nearshore currents and swimmer safety on the Dutch coast

Assessing swimmer safety along the Dutch coast entails more than only assessing the risk of rip currents. Seven criteria have been formulated to make a comprehensive assessment of swimmer safety along the Dutch coast. These are based on interviews with lifeguards, rescue report statistics and detailed lagrangian measurements of the current...