Sediment Transport beyond the Surf Zone under Waves and Currents of the Non-Tidal Sea: Lubiatowo (Poland) Case Study

Abstract

The paper deals with the sandy coastal zone at Lubiatowo in Poland (the south Baltic Sea). The study comprises experimental and theoretical investigations of hydrodynamic and lithodynamic processes in the coastal region located close to the seaward boundary of the surf zone and beyond the surf zone. The analysis is based on field data collected at the IBW PAN Coastal Research Station in Lubiatowo. The data consist of wind velocity reconstructed from the long-term wave climate, deep-water wave buoy records and sea bottom soil parameters. Nearbed flow velocities induced by waves and currents, as well as bed shear stresses are theoretically modelled for various conditions to determine sediment motion regimes in the considered area. The paper discusses the possibility of occasional intensive sediment transport and the occurrence of distinct sea bed changes at bigger water depths.