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Bathymetric control of surf zone retention on a rip-channelled beach

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Abstract

Simulations from a numerical model address the impact of nearshore morphology on surf zone retention on, open coast, rip-channelled beaches exposed to shore-normal waves. In the model, rip channels are regularly spaced alongshore with a given spacing λ. For a given reference case bathymetry (λ= 200 m), rip current circulations retain floating material at a hourly rate R of about 80 % which is in line with most existing field and laboratory studies in similar settings. The influence of a surf zone rip-channel morphology on surf zone retention is evaluated by a number of morphologic parameters. Results show that rip spacing is important. The ratio of the surf zone width X s to rip spacing λ controls surf zone retention with R rapidly increasing with increasing X s /λ up to a threshold of about 1 above which R levels off to become asymptotic to 100 %. The impact of the presence of a rip head bar is profound but nonlinear. The onset of wave breaking across the rip head bar drives a weak seaward located circulation providing major pathways for surface water exiting the surf zone compartment. Additional simulations suggest that alongshore variations in the offshore bathymetry are important. Patterns in the wave field enforced by wave refraction and potentially wave breaking across offshore bathymetric anomalies can provide a conduit for transporting floating material out of the surf zone and into the inner shelf region. This has major implications for surf zone flushing by inner-bar rips on multiple-barred beaches and on beaches facing bathymetric anomalies on the inner shelf.

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Acknowledgements

This work was done within the framework of the French program EC2CO-Biohefect/Ecodyn/Dril/McrobiEN (Dynamique instationnaire et morphodynamique des courants darrachement) and project BARBEC (ANR N2010 JCJC 602 01). JM was supported by NSF OCE-0926750. The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers whose comments/suggestions helped improve and clarify this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR EPOC, Université Bordeaux I, Avenue des Facultés, 33405, Talence Cedex, France

    Bruno Castelle

  2. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA

    Ad Reniers

  3. Oceanography Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, 93943, USA

    Jamie MacMahan

Authors
  1. Bruno Castelle
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  2. Ad Reniers
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  3. Jamie MacMahan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno Castelle.

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Responsible Editor: Rodrigo Cienfuegos

This article is part of the Topical Collection on the 7th International Conference on Coastal Dynamics in Arcachon, France 24-28 June 2013

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Castelle, B., Reniers, A. & MacMahan, J. Bathymetric control of surf zone retention on a rip-channelled beach. Ocean Dynamics 64, 1221–1231 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-014-0747-0

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