Abstract
Laboratory experiments are performed to explore the response rule of a sandy beach profile under plunging wave on a non-uniform sediment-bed slope. The initial beach slope of combination of 1/10 and 1/20 is exposed to regular waves and cnoidal waves respectively. The free surface elevation, process of wave propagation, wave breaking, uprush and backwash and the change of a cross-shore beach profile are measured and recorded. The beach profile under the regular waves action exhibits two parts: a sandbar profile and a beach berm profile, and only one typical profile transformation under the cnoidal waves action is obtained, which is the beach berm profile. In the laboratory experiments, it is found that the beach states under wave action related to the previous factors. In addition, they are related to the characteristic of breaking waves such as the breaking intensity of the plunging wave. A concept about the characteristic angle of the plunging wave has been put forward through the observation and analysis of the phenomenon of the laboratory experiment. A qualitative analysis about the sediment transport carrying by currents generated from the plunging wave and the state of beach profile under the wave action has been done. The quantitative analysis about the relationship between the characteristic angle and Irribarren number has been done. An available formula of equilibrium states for the sandy beach induced by the plunging wave has been established based on the relationship between Irribarren number and the beach profile. By fitting these experimental results and others' experimental results to three lines, the three fitting coefficients can be calculated in their formula respectively. The recommended empirical formulas can divide three states of a beach morphology profile obviously, which include a depositive beach, an erosive beach and an intermediate beach.
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Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 51239001, 51179015, 51409022 and 51509023; the Hunan Provincial Innovation Foundation for Postgraduate under contract No. CX2015B348.
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Jiang, C., Wu, Z., Chen, J. et al. An available formula of the sandy beach state induced by plunging waves. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 36, 91–100 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1114-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1114-z