Sediment characteristics of some Nova Scotian beaches

Authors

  • Edward Bryant Department of Geography University of Wollongong, P.O. Box 1144, Wollongong, Australia 2500

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4138/1571

Abstract

A general model exists relating morphology, hydrodynamics and sediment transport behaviour of beach foreshores. This model states that on a reflective foreshore, where wave energy is reflected from the beach face, sediment size grades steeply in value (0.2 mm/km) along the beach face, downdrift and towards highest energy. This grading is temporally stable. On a dissipative foreshore, where wave energy is dissipated across a surf zone, size gradings are weakly developed (0.1 mm/km) and have a high degree of temporal variability. The model applies to high energy, swell-dominated, compartmentalized beaches with stable sea level and no sediment input. Most of the beaches studied in Nova Scotia, where sea level is rising, fit within this model; however the effects of source dominance, low wave energy levels and edge wave triggering processes must be considered. RÉSUMÉ L'effet combiné des facteurs agissant sur l’estran, soit la morphologie, l'hydrodynatnique et le mouvement des sédiments, est traite par un modèle général. Ce modèle propose que le long d'un est ran reflechissant, lè ou l'énergié de la houle est réfléchie par le rivage, la granulometrie des matériaux croft rapidement (0.2 mm/km) en direction de la dérive et vers les zones à haute énergié. Ce granoclassement est temporellement stable. Le long d'un rivage ou l'énergié de la houle est dissipée par une zone de brisants, le gradient granulométrique est moins bien exprimé (0.1 mm/km) et temporellement très variable. Ce modèle s'applique aux plages compartimentées, dotninées par la houle, ou l'énergié du milieu est haute, le niveau de la mer stable et l'apport de sédiments nul. En Nouvelle-Écosse, la plupart des plages étudiées cadrent avec ce modèle bien que le niveau marin soit à la hausse; cependant on doit tenir compte des effets dus à la dominance de la source, du faible niveau d'énergié de la houle, ainsi que des processus initiateurs de la houle transversale. [Traduit par le Journal]

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Published

1983-09-09

How to Cite

Bryant, E. (1983). Sediment characteristics of some Nova Scotian beaches. Atlantic Geoscience, 19(3). https://doi.org/10.4138/1571

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 3 (1983)

Section

Articles

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