Adoption of recent formulae for sediment transport calculations applied on the Egyptian Nile delta coastal area

Abstract

This study is considered as a completion for the carried out previous research on the Egyptian northern coast near Port Said. An evaluation was carried out for the purpose of analyzing satellite measured wave data, or carrying out preliminary evaluations for the study area, in the Nile delta coast near Damitta. The available offshore historical significant wave heights from altimeter measurements are used in this research for the period from 2005 to 2008. In this study waves were transformed from the offshore area to nearshore, sediment transport volumes were evaluated by applying and adjusting some of the practical formulae, which are considered reasonable for this area. The study domain dimensions are 50 km long offshore and 15 km wide alongshore. Wave nearshore transformation is carried out by using the mathematical Simulating WAves Nearshore model (SWAN) based on seasonal/directional bases. Two seasons are considered in the analysis, which are both winter and summer, to represent the mean seasons of the year. The three formulae, which are CERC, van Rijn and Boer and Galvin for sediment transport evaluation are applied in the study area. The reference values were applied for comparison were checked. The obtained rough evaluations were considered acceptable and can be roughly applied for both research and engineering purposes.