Embayed beach configuration explained by wave sheltering.

Area of Science:

• Coastal geomorphology
• Oceanography
• Sedimentology

Background:

• Embayed beaches are common coastal features defined by their curved shape.
• Understanding the processes controlling embayed beach development is crucial for coastal management.
• Existing models often require complex calculations involving multiple physical processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, simplified approach for describing embayed beach shape.
• To extend the understanding of factors controlling embayed beach development.
• To provide a more accurate predictive model for coastal geomorphologists.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel approach to describe bay shape.
• Validated the approach using one-line models.
• Applied the model to diverse real-world coastal cases globally.
• Incorporated detailed offshore wave climate characterization, including directional spread.

Main Results:

• Equilibrium curvature of embayed beaches can be explained by headland-provided offshore wave sheltering alone.
• The model accurately predicts curvature without explicit inclusion of shoaling, refraction, diffraction, or longshore transport.
• The inclusion of background wind sea components is crucial for predicting curvature in sheltered embayed domains under dominant swell conditions.

Conclusions:

• Offshore wave sheltering is the primary driver of embayed beach equilibrium curvature.
• A simplified model focusing on wave sheltering and accurate wave climate characterization offers significant predictive power.
• This research advances the understanding of wave-driven coastal evolution and embayed beach dynamics.