Responses of Wave and Current to Artificial Headlands and a Beach Nourishment Project

Abstract:

Taking the coast from the Xinkai estuary to Nanshan as a study object, the artificial headlands and a beach nourishment project including underwater sandbars will be constructed to reduce coastal erosion. MIKE 21 was employed to establish tidal current and wave model, hence the responses of current and wave to artificial headland and beach nourishment project can be obtained. The velocity in front of headlands can be increased due to jetlikeflow, however, the velocity inside of the headlandbay is decreased, and a weak circulation appears in the back of the headland. After the beach nourishment, wave height increases at the crest of sandbar, while it decreases between and behind sandbars with more decreasing behind sandbars. Wave height decreases in front of the berm, and has more reduction during flood period than ebb period. The combined effect of artificial headland and beach nourishment project can effectively reduce the tidal currents and waves in the area encircled by headlands and sandbars, especially near shore, hence reduce coastal erosion.