Bedforms and Mine Burial in the Nearshore
Abstract
The threat of mines has an enormous impact on Naval operations. Methods exist for search and identification of proud mines, but the potential existence of buried mines is of considerable concern. This work will help to describe the process of mine burial owing to bottom bedform movement by quantifying the expected time scales and depths of disturbance of the natural bed in the nearshore. As waves work the sediments on the seafloor, megaripples are generated and migrate, erosion and accretion take place. These motions cause objects on the seafloor to become buried. In the surf zone, waves break, currents are strong, and more energy is available to move sediment than further offshore, therefore morphological processes occur more quickly. This is reflected in the growth of the envelope of seafloor motions and the resulting likelihood of burial, which is larger and faster inside the surf zone than further offshore. The growth of the bed envelope is represented by an exponential taper model, growing quickly at first and slowly approaching an asymptotic value. This model could be used to predict maximal burial depths in the nearshore.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA477666
Entities
People
- Edith L. Gallagher
- R. A. Holman
Organizations
- Franklin & Marshall College