Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations
Grain size and beach slope are critical factors in coastal science and management. However, it is difficult to have information on their distribution everywhere in the world, as most of the coast has never been documented. For many applications, it is essential to have at least a rough estimate when...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/58 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588192313769984 |
|---|---|
| author | Amélie Arias Rafael Almar Vincent Regard Erwin W. J. Bergsma Bruno Castelle Thierry Garlan |
| author_facet | Amélie Arias Rafael Almar Vincent Regard Erwin W. J. Bergsma Bruno Castelle Thierry Garlan |
| author_sort | Amélie Arias |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grain size and beach slope are critical factors in coastal science and management. However, it is difficult to have information on their distribution everywhere in the world, as most of the coast has never been documented. For many applications, it is essential to have at least a rough estimate when local field measurements are not available. Here, we review the existing prediction formulas relating beach slope to grain size and wave conditions, using publicly available global datasets and comparing them with a benchmark dataset of ground measurements from different authors worldwide. Uncertainties arise from the input parameters, in particular coastal waves, a key parameter of all formulae, but also from empirical coefficients that are undocumented or inaccessible with the global dataset. Despite the recognized importance of tides, they are often overlooked in formulae relating beach slope to sediment grain size. We therefore present an improved formulation that incorporates tidal effects. Although satellites offer a promising alternative to predictive formulae for direct estimation of beach slope and grain size, the current accuracy and methodologies of satellite data are insufficient for global applications. Continued advances in satellite missions, including higher resolution and revisit frequency, as well as new sensors, are essential to improve predictive capabilities and facilitate wider implementation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-442708937a9f4e54acc0a2a419485374 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-442708937a9f4e54acc0a2a4194853742025-01-24T13:36:42ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122024-12-011315810.3390/jmse13010058Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite ObservationsAmélie Arias0Rafael Almar1Vincent Regard2Erwin W. J. Bergsma3Bruno Castelle4Thierry Garlan5Laboratoire D’études en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (LEGOS, Université de Toulouse/CNES/CNRS/IRD), 31400 Toulouse, FranceLaboratoire D’études en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (LEGOS, Université de Toulouse/CNES/CNRS/IRD), 31400 Toulouse, FranceGéosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET, CNRS/Université de Toulouse/IRD/CNES), 31400 Toulouse, FranceFrench Space Agency (CNES), Earth Observation Lab, 31400 Toulouse, FranceEnvironnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux (EPOC, University of Bordeaux/CNRS), 33615 Pessac, FranceService Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM), 29200 Brest, FranceGrain size and beach slope are critical factors in coastal science and management. However, it is difficult to have information on their distribution everywhere in the world, as most of the coast has never been documented. For many applications, it is essential to have at least a rough estimate when local field measurements are not available. Here, we review the existing prediction formulas relating beach slope to grain size and wave conditions, using publicly available global datasets and comparing them with a benchmark dataset of ground measurements from different authors worldwide. Uncertainties arise from the input parameters, in particular coastal waves, a key parameter of all formulae, but also from empirical coefficients that are undocumented or inaccessible with the global dataset. Despite the recognized importance of tides, they are often overlooked in formulae relating beach slope to sediment grain size. We therefore present an improved formulation that incorporates tidal effects. Although satellites offer a promising alternative to predictive formulae for direct estimation of beach slope and grain size, the current accuracy and methodologies of satellite data are insufficient for global applications. Continued advances in satellite missions, including higher resolution and revisit frequency, as well as new sensors, are essential to improve predictive capabilities and facilitate wider implementation.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/58beach slopesediment grain sizesatellite optical imagerywavestide |
| spellingShingle | Amélie Arias Rafael Almar Vincent Regard Erwin W. J. Bergsma Bruno Castelle Thierry Garlan Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations Journal of Marine Science and Engineering beach slope sediment grain size satellite optical imagery waves tide |
| title | Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations |
| title_full | Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations |
| title_short | Assessment of Beach Slope and Sediment Grain Size Anywhere in the World: Review of Existing Formulae, Integration of Tidal Influence, and Perspectives from Satellite Observations |
| title_sort | assessment of beach slope and sediment grain size anywhere in the world review of existing formulae integration of tidal influence and perspectives from satellite observations |
| topic | beach slope sediment grain size satellite optical imagery waves tide |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/58 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ameliearias assessmentofbeachslopeandsedimentgrainsizeanywhereintheworldreviewofexistingformulaeintegrationoftidalinfluenceandperspectivesfromsatelliteobservations AT rafaelalmar assessmentofbeachslopeandsedimentgrainsizeanywhereintheworldreviewofexistingformulaeintegrationoftidalinfluenceandperspectivesfromsatelliteobservations AT vincentregard assessmentofbeachslopeandsedimentgrainsizeanywhereintheworldreviewofexistingformulaeintegrationoftidalinfluenceandperspectivesfromsatelliteobservations AT erwinwjbergsma assessmentofbeachslopeandsedimentgrainsizeanywhereintheworldreviewofexistingformulaeintegrationoftidalinfluenceandperspectivesfromsatelliteobservations AT brunocastelle assessmentofbeachslopeandsedimentgrainsizeanywhereintheworldreviewofexistingformulaeintegrationoftidalinfluenceandperspectivesfromsatelliteobservations AT thierrygarlan assessmentofbeachslopeandsedimentgrainsizeanywhereintheworldreviewofexistingformulaeintegrationoftidalinfluenceandperspectivesfromsatelliteobservations |