Bottom Profile Evolution of a Perched Nourished Beach

Abstract

The evolution of a toe-protected nourished beach, located at Belvedere Marittimo (Italy), was investigated by means of both a physical model and a numerical morphological approach. Several surveys, including bottom profiles, sedimentology, and wave climate, were available after the nourishment for this site. Results showed that the physical model is in a fairly good agreement with the field surveys regarding localized phenomena such as the scour around the barrier, whereas it lacks in predicting the slope of the beach profile. The results of the morphological model, carried out on the basis of the field data, well reproduce the beach slope. On the other hand, when it is applied with the same parameters of the physical model, it lacks accuracy in predicting the experimental beach profile.