Onshore sediment transport on a sandy beach under varied wave conditions: Flow velocity skewness, wave asymmetry or bed ventilation?

Measurements of the cross-shore suspended sediment flux obtained from a planar and barred beachface have been used to investigate the propensity for wave-driven onshore sediment transport during medium energy conditions. Three processes capable of transporting sediments onshore-flow velocity skewness, wave asymmetry and bed-ventilation were investigated to determine their relative importance. Onshore-directed flow accelerations under the steep front face of asymmetric waves were significantly correlated with sediment suspension, whilst the effects of flow skewness and bed-ventilation were discounted. An acceleration-modified form of the Meyer-Peter-type formula is used as initial attempt at modelling the onshore transport using a temporal filter to modify the bed shear stresses. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.