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Modelling the time‐varying extent of groundwater seepage on tidal beaches
Author(s) -
Turner Ian L.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290200909
Subject(s) - intertidal zone , geology , shore , outcrop , groundwater , saturation (graph theory) , hydrology (agriculture) , geomorphology , oceanography , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , combinatorics
The outcrop of groundwater on tidal beaches distinguishes an upper unsaturated region from a lower saturated region of the intertidal profile. Since the 1940s, it has been recognized that the extent of groundwater seepage at the beach face is one factor determining the tendency for erosive or accretionary conditions to prevail. As a primary step towards incorporating bed saturation characteristics within cross‐shore sediment transport models, this paper (and accompanying program disk) details a simple model to simulate the time‐varying extent of seepage face development across tidal beaches. From a comparison with field results obtained on the macrotidal Central Queensland (Australia) coast, the model appears to provide an encouraging degree of predictive capability. The model also assists in highlighting the sensitivity of seepage face development to varying beach face, tide and wave characteristics.