1
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background
Coastal zone is an area of interaction between land and sea which include
renewable and non-renewable resources. Hence, the interaction between varions natural processes and human activities are important factors in the
Coastal area for its sustainable development. The dynamic Coastal environment is dictated by the major driving forces due to wind, waves, tide
and current and the resilience characteristics of the Coastal morphology.
The need for the engineering development nécessitâtes the development of
many Systems such as Coastal protection measures, harbour structures, river
training walls, intake well and outfall Systems which may further influence
the Coastal behaviour. Among ail the parameters needed for the design
of structures in the marine environment, the effect of océan waves play a
dominant rôle in dictating the System design.
Beaches are formed by the sédiments driven from the seabed by the
océan waves that undergo different types of transformation prior to breaking
near the coast. The sédiments in the seabed are picked up by the waves when
they feel the sea bottom. Its movement then dépends on the characteristics
of the sédiments as well as that of the waves. Sandy beaches extend from
the outermost breakers to the landward limit of normal wave and swash
action. A typical beach profile and the terminology adopted in defining
are shown in Fig. 1.1. The wave energy incident on the beach dictâtes its
profile. The beach in general constitutes the backshore, the foreshore, the
portion sloping toward the océan; and the nearshore, There could be a line
of breakers or a région of wave breaking, the région, where, the wave induced
sédiments are in suspension that are driven along the shore by alongshore
currents or tend moving along the cross shore. The movement of sédiments
along the coast will be dominated in the surf zone, that is, between the
shoreline and the breaker zone.
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background
Coastal zone is an area of interaction between land and sea which include
renewable and non-renewable resources. Hence, the interaction between varions natural processes and human activities are important factors in the
Coastal area for its sustainable development. The dynamic Coastal environment is dictated by the major driving forces due to wind, waves, tide
and current and the resilience characteristics of the Coastal morphology.
The need for the engineering development nécessitâtes the development of
many Systems such as Coastal protection measures, harbour structures, river
training walls, intake well and outfall Systems which may further influence
the Coastal behaviour. Among ail the parameters needed for the design
of structures in the marine environment, the effect of océan waves play a
dominant rôle in dictating the System design.
Beaches are formed by the sédiments driven from the seabed by the
océan waves that undergo different types of transformation prior to breaking
near the coast. The sédiments in the seabed are picked up by the waves when
they feel the sea bottom. Its movement then dépends on the characteristics
of the sédiments as well as that of the waves. Sandy beaches extend from
the outermost breakers to the landward limit of normal wave and swash
action. A typical beach profile and the terminology adopted in defining
are shown in Fig. 1.1. The wave energy incident on the beach dictâtes its
profile. The beach in general constitutes the backshore, the foreshore, the
portion sloping toward the océan; and the nearshore, There could be a line
of breakers or a région of wave breaking, the région, where, the wave induced
sédiments are in suspension that are driven along the shore by alongshore
currents or tend moving along the cross shore. The movement of sédiments
along the coast will be dominated in the surf zone, that is, between the
shoreline and the breaker zone.