The subaerial beach, composed of sand dunes and the foreshore, provides a natural buffer zone between vulnerable land and the dissipation of storm wave energy due to wave breaking. The natural beauty of this region is attractive to people, and as a result, significant investment has been placed in this...
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Robert A. Holman
The subaerial beach, composed of sand dunes and the foreshore, provides a
We examine the interactions and feedbacks between bathymetry, waves, currents, and
sediment transport. The first two pro jects focus on the use of remote sensing techniques
to expand our knowledge of the nearshore. Due to the plethora of snap-shot data that is
available from satellites and their distribution via Google...
Waves are the primary input of energy in the nearshore region, and together with the currents forced through the transfer of momentum that occurs during the wave breaking process they are the principal mechanism for sediment transport in the nearshore. The basic physics of waves and currents are thought to...
The longshore variability of the coastal response to hurricanes may be examined within the framework of a storm-impact scaling model that compares spatially-variable beach morphology and fluid forcing. The relative elevations of dune height and storm-induced water levels are used to define three impact regimes (swash, collision, and overwash), within...
This thesis presents an examination of the nearshore wave bottom boundary layer
under conditions of significant sediment response. Using both field observations and
simple models, the response of the bottom boundary layer to random waves is shown to
have a complex behavior. First, the linearized wave bottom boundary layer governing...
Wave runup is an important physical process that affects nearshore sediment transport, coastal erosion, and flooding. Large and unexpected runup events can also be dangerous to beach goers. Extreme runup statistics are essential parameters used in engineering design of marine structures and in coastal management. Although the study of runup...