Application of an optical tracking technique to characterize nearshore wave-driven transport and dispersion of model driftwood

Abstract

Driftwood is abundant in coastal zones, and is increasingly being incorporated in nature-based shore protection and restoration projects. However, accumulations of driftwood, and their mobilization by storms or other disturbances, can pose hazards to coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. An improved understanding of driftwood dynamics in nearshore, wave-dominated environments is needed to inform sustainable use and management of wood in coastal zones. An optical tracking technique was applied to quantify mean transport and dispersion of driftwood in a 1/30 Froude-scaled coastal model exposed to oblique waves. The results provided new insight to factors controlling driftwood mobility and dispersion on beaches exposed to oblique waves, including the effects of sea state, wave-induced currents and circulation, water levels, driftwood length, driftwood roughness, driftwood buoyancy, and coastal structures.