One-Line Modeling of Mega-Nourishment Evolution

Abstract

Whitley, A.E.; Figlus, J.; Valsamidis, A., and Reeve, D.E., 2021. One-line modeling of mega-nourishment evolution. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1224–1234. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. As many coastal areas of the world suffer from chronic erosion, innovative solutions beyond traditional local nourishment must be explored. One such solution is the implementation of mega-nourishments (MNs), where a large sediment volume is deposited in a single location and redistributed via natural processes, thereby feeding adjacent beaches. Robust numerical modeling methods are needed to evaluate potential MN sites at coastal locations around the world. Two one-line numerical modeling approaches of MN evolution are presented using the Coastline Evolution Model (CEM) and GENESIS + Cascade (GenCade). Both models are parameterized for the Sand Motor (SM) that has been constructed on the Dutch coast to explore the feasibility of the MN approach. Here, a variety of K coefficients in the Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) sediment transport equation are tested since traditionally calibrated and used values may not apply for MN features. Both models are found capable of reproducing the shoreline morphological patterns observed at the SM over the first 3.5 years. GenCade shows a low difference between measured and modeled coastline position overall, showing accurate predictions of absolute shoreline position. CEM is able to capture feature tip migration due to its wave shadowing algorithm. The best results from both models can be obtained for higher K values than those commonly suggested in the literature. Given the size of a mega-nourishment relative to traditional nourishments, it is likely that a higher-than-usual K value may be a better fit when simulating mega-nourishments in a one-line model.