Title:

Shorerise and Bar-Berm Profiles on Ocean Beaches

Author:
Inman, Douglas L., Center for Coastal Studies, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Elwany, M. Hany, Center for Coastal Studies, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Jenkins, Scott A., Center for Coastal Studies, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Publication Date:
10-15-1993
Series:
Coastal Morphology Group
Publication Info:
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Permalink:
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/25521336
Additional Info:
Reprinted from: Journal of Geophysical Research, C, Oceans, vol.98, no.10, pp.18,181-18,199, 15
Oct 1993. Copyright 1993 American Geophysical Union. Reproduced by permission of American
Geophysical Union. Further reproduction or electronic distribution is not permitted.
Abstract:
A beach equilibrium model is developed that treats the outer (shorerise) portion of the profile
independently from that of the inner (bar-berm) portion. The two portions are matched at the
breakpoint-bar. The partitioning of the profile in this way is consistent with the different forcing
modes on either side of the breakpoint. This formulation utilizes beach profile data not previously
available. It is shown that both portions of the profile are well fitted by curves of the form h=Ax/
sup m/, where h is positive downward and x is the positive offshore coordinate. Surprisingly, the
value of m approximately=0.4 is nearly the same for shorerise and bar-berm and does not change
significantly with seasonal beach changes (summer/winter). The principal difference between
seasonal profiles is that in winter (higher waves) the breakpoint-bar is deeper and farther offshore
while the berm crest is displaced landward. Thus the changes in seasonal equilibria are manifested
by simple, self-similar displacements of the bar-berm and shorerise curves as a consequence of
changes in surf zone width and O(1) variations in the factor A.
Copyright Information:
All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. Contact the author or original publisher for any
necessary permissions. eScholarship is not the copyright owner for deposited works. Learn more
at http://www.escholarship.org/help_copyright.html#reuse

eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing

services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic
research platform to scholars worldwide.