Boundary Layer Processes in the Surf Zone and Inner Shelf in CROSSTEX and MISO
Abstract
Long term goals are to observe and model turbulent stresses in the bottom boundary layer (BBL) arising from wave forcing and low frequency currents, and the resulting sediment transport, and bedform evolution in the inner shelf and surf zone. The presence of mobile sandy beds across continental shelves and surf zones results in complex interactions and strong feedbacks between fluid motion in the bottom boundary layer and sediment movement both as bed load and suspended sediment flux. A primary goal is to develop parameterizations of the formation of different bedform types to different aspects of wave and current forcing and to improve models of wave-forced sediment transport. The observations made in this project are being used to understand and model sediment transport and effective bed roughness and BBL wave dissipation in response to these evolving bedforms. A primary scientific objective of this project is to measure turbulent stresses, shear and sediment fluxes in the bottom boundary layer in both inner shelf and surf zone field experiments and large scale tank experiments. The field observations represent the more complex superposition of forcing factors including cross-shore and long-shore low frequency currents, and broad band wave forcing. These long term (months to years) timeseries provide a range of these forcing parameters. Inner shelf field BBL observations from the 12m depth cabled MISO observatory in Monterey bay and surfzone measurements from RIPEX and NCEX are being used in these analyses. Data sets from these field programs are being complimented by measurements using the same instrument systems deployed in the large scale wave flume at the OSU Hinsdale Large Scale Wave Flume during CROSSTEX in the fall of 2005. This provided an opportunity to measure the BBL under controlled, repeatable, programmable wave conditions with negligible longshore mean currents.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA523832
Entities
People
- Timothy P. Stanton
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School