XBeach Process-Based Modelling of Coastal Morphological Features Near Breakwater

Abstract

An effective role of a detached breakwater as a coastal protection structure leads to morphological evolutions of tombolo. This paper presents the application of process based model of XBeach to investigate the morphological tombolo evolution using the model domain from the previous case study. Sensitivity analysis with optimum model parameters such as facua 0.1, Chezy coefficient 60, directional energy distribution, dtheta 10 and morfac 100 is conducted and the model results are compared to the empirical models. At 50 and 75 days simulation time, XBeach model results for breakwater at distance 120 m, 150 m, 200 m and 300 m offshore forms tombolo and salient at a distance of 500 m from the shoreline. Numerical investigation of tombolo through XBeach model has given us an understanding on the morphological effects of breakwater offshore distance towards evolution of coastal features like tombolo and salient.