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Abstract:
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Sediment transport in the nearshore areas is an
important process in deciding the coastline stability. The
design and effective maintenance of navigable waterways,
harbours and marine structures depend on the stability of
the sediment substrate and the nature of sedimentation in
the nearshore zone. The nearshore zone is a complex
environment and the exact relationships existing between
water motions and the resulting sediment transports are not
well understood. During the rough weather season, when the
sediment movement is considerable, processes occurring in
the nearshore area are much less understood. Moreover,
there is a general lack of field measurements, especially
during the time of severe storm conditions. The increasing pressures and the concern on the
preservation of the valuable coastal environment have
led to the development of shore protection programmes.
Conservation not only demands knowledge of what needs to
be done, but also requires the basic processes to be fully
understood. Considering the fragile nature of barrier
beaches and intense occupancy of these areas by man, these
coastal features have long been a subject of study by
coastal oceanographers, geomorphologists and engineers.
The present study is an attempt to understand the
sediment movement in relation to beach dynamics, especially
in the surf zone, along some part of Kerala coast and the
response of the beaches to various forcing functions over
different seasons |