Alongshore Topographic Variability at a Nourished Beach

The present paper examines the generation and inter-annual evolution of alongshore variability in topography measured after the implementation of a sand nourishment. The magnitude of the topographic variability is quantified using 3.5 years of monthly survey data. The emergence and temporal change in alongshore morphological variability is compared with environmental and topographic controls previously suggested as governing processes in published literature. Results show that the variability at this site is slowly evolving on a monthly timescale. Magnitude of the variability in the first period after implementation of the nourishment was similar to the values found after 3.5 years. Temporal variation in the magnitude of the alongshore topographic variability was found to be related the incoming wave power offshore. Energetic storm events during winter resulted in a rapid increase in variability, followed by a gradual decrease in alongshore variability during spring and summer.