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...

Morphodynamic Upscaling with the MORFAC Approach in Tidal Conditions: The Critical MORFAC

A hampering factor in the application of morphodynamic models is the potential excessive time needed to complete a simulation. One way to upscale a model run is the use of a morphological factor, or MORFAC. In this paper, we investigate the upper limit to the value of the MORFAC as a function of model geometry and timestep for a schematized case...

Effect of Different Forcing Processes on the Longshore Sediment Transport at the Sand Motor, The Netherlands

The Sand Motor is a pilot project of a ‘mega-nourishment’ built in the Dutch coast in 2011. In order to understand which conditions reshape those mega-nourishments the influence of different types of forcing on the longshore sediment transport along the Sand Motor has been assessed in this paper using a process-based model. The use of numerical...

On the Generic Utilization of Probabilistic Methods for Quantification of Uncertainty in Process-based Morhpodynamic Model Applications

A variety of uncertainty sources are inherent in process-based morphodynamic modelling applications. There is an increasing demand for the quantification of these uncertainties. This contribution introduces a probabilistic-morphodynamic (PM) modelling framework that enables this quantification. The PM modelling framework provides a systematic...

The sand engine: A solution for the Dutch Delta in the 21st century?

The Netherlands’ strategy to combat coastal erosion since 1990 has been through nourishment, initially as beach nourishments but more and more as shoreface nourishments. In the light of sea level rise projections the yearly nourishment magnitudes continue to increase. In view of this an innovative soft engineering intervention, comprising an...

The sand engine: A solution for vulnerable deltas in the 21st century?

The Netherlands’ strategy to combat coastal erosion since 1990 has been through nourishment, initially as beach nourishments but more and more as shoreface nourishments. In the light of sea level rise projections the yearly nourishment magnitudes continue to increase. In view of this an innovative soft engineering intervention, comprising an...

Process-based modeling of coastal dune development

In this paper, the aeolian transport model DUNE (Sauermann et al., 2001, Kroy et al., 2002) that describes important features and dynamics of typical desert dunes, is extended such that it can be applied in sandy coastal areas. Initial tests explore the limitations of the model in coastal areas after which adaptations are proposed and...

A comprehensive sediment budget for the Mississippi Barrier Islands

In order to conceive any realistic plan for post-Katrina island restoration, it is necessary to understand the physical processes that move sand along the littoral drift zone off the coast of Mississippi. This littoral zone influences the character of the Mississippi barrier islands as they exist in an ever changing cycle. To help in this...

Applying an analogue for a conceptual model for the development of a mega nourishment

This paper discusses the effectiveness of a mega-nourishment project. Mega-nourishment is a new technology for beach nourishment that has recently been developed. It arises as an alternative to beaches where a structural erosion problem is observed and there is the need for continuously nourishments works. A pilot project was implemented near...

Climate change impacts on the stability of small tidal inlets: A numerical modelling study using Realistic Analogue approach

Tidal inlets are of great societal importance as they are often associated with ports and harbours, industry, tourism, recreation and prime waterfront real estate. Their behaviour is governed by the delicate balance of oceanic processes (tides, waves and mean sea level), and fluvial/estuarine processes (riverflow and heat fluxes), all of which...

Morphodynamic upscaling with the MORFAC approach

The Morphological Acceleration Factor (MORFAC) approach for morphodynamic upscaling enables the simulation of long term coastal evolution. However the general validity of the MORFAC concept for coastal applications has not yet been comprehensively investigated. Furthermore, a robust and objective method for the a priori determination of the...

Quasi-3D modelling of surf zone dynamics

A quasi-three-dimensional model (quasi-3D) has been developed through the implementation of an analytical 1DV flow model in existing depth-averaged shallow water equations. The model includes the effects of waves and wind on the vertical distribution of the horizontal velocities. Comparisons with data from both physical and field cases show that...