Abstract
Field measurements of waves and currents were obtained at ten locations on an ebb-tidal shoal seaward of Ameland Inlet for a six-week period. These measurements were used to investigate the evolution of the near-bed velocity skewness and asymmetry, as these are important drivers for wave-induced sediment tranport. Wave shape parameters were compared to traditionally used parameterizations to quantify their performance in a dynamic area with waves and tidal currents coming in from different directions over a highly variable bathymetry. Spatially and temporally averaged, these parameterizations compared very well to observed wave shape. However, significant scatter was observed. The largest deviations from the parameterization were observed at the shallowest locations, where the contribution of wave-induced sediment transport was expected to be the largest. This paper shows that this scatter was caused by differences in wave-breaking, nonlinear energy transfer rate, and spatial gradients in tidal currents. Therefore, it is proposed to include the prior evolution of the wave before reaching a location in future parameterizations in numerical modeling instead of only using local parameters to predict wave shape.
Highlights
Tidal inlets and their deltas are highly dynamic systems [1,2]
This paper presents a new dataset of waves and currents obtained at 10 locations on the ebb-tidal shoal seaward of the Ameland Inlet
Pressure signals were transformed in near-bed orbital velocity signals in order to investigate the occurrence of Sk and As, as these are the main drivers of wave-induced sediment transport
Summary
Tidal inlets and their deltas are highly dynamic systems [1,2]. Deep channels are formed by the in- and outgoing tidal currents. Sediment is exchanged through a network of channels between the tidal flats, deltas and adjacent barrier island coasts [3,4]. At the seaward end of the ebb channel, a relatively shallow area is located, the ebb-tidal delta. It is shaped as a result of the decelerating tidal flow and the influence of waves from offshore. The ebb-tidal delta serves an important role in these systems. It provides shelter to the back-barrier basin by dissipating high incoming waves. The ecosystem has a high ecological value containing a large variety of benthic species
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