Beach morphodynamics

Coastal morphodynamics (i.e. the dynamics of beach morphology) refers to the study of the interaction and adjustment of the seafloor topography and fluid hydrodynamic processes, seafloor morphologies and sequences of change dynamics involving the motion of sediment. Hydrodynamic processes include those of waves, tides and wind-induced currents.

While hydrodynamic processes respond instantaneously to morphological change, morphological change requires the redistribution of sediment. As sediment takes a finite time to move, there is a lag in the morphological response to hydrodynamic forcing. Sediment can therefore be considered to be a time-dependent coupling mechanism. Since the boundary conditions of hydrodynamic forcing change regularly, this may mean that the beach never attains . Morphodynamic processes exhibit positive and negative feedbacks (such that beaches can, over different timescales, be considered to be both self-forcing and self-organised systems), nonlinearities and threshold behaviour.

This systems approach to the coast was first developed by Wright and Thom in 1977 and finalized by Wright and Short in 1984. According to their dynamic and morphological characteristics, exposed sandy beaches can be classified into several morphodynamic types (Wright and Short, 1984; Short, 1996). There is a large scale of morphodynamic states, this scale ranges from the "dissipative state" to the "reflective extremes".

Dissipative beaches are flat, have fine sand, incorporating waves that tend to break far from the intertidal zone and dissipate force progressively along wide surf zones. Dissipative beaches are wide and flat in profile, with a wide shoaling and surf zone, composed of finer sediment, and characterised by spilling breakers.

Reflective beaches are steep, and are known for their coarse sand; they have no surf zone, and the waves break brusquely on the intertidal zone. Reflective beaches are typically steep in profile with a narrow shoaling and surf zone, composed of coarse sediment, and characterised by surging breakers. Coarser sediment allows percolation during the swash part of the wave cycle, thus reducing the strength of backwash and allowing material to be deposited in the swash zone

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