EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF CROSS-SHORE BEACH PROFILE PATH TO EQUILIBRIUM UNDER RAPID WAVE REGIME CHANGE

Coastal areas are highly dynamical systems forced by both natural and anthropogenic causes. Given the extreme sensitivity of sandy beaches to the upcoming changes (sea level-rise and the expected increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events), it is of prime interest to understand the processes leading to beach accretion or erosion. The present study aims at focussing on such physical mechanisms by exploring the behavior of a 2D cross-shore laboratory profile to rapid wave change. Focusing on the definition of nearshore equilibrium, swash slope, sediment exchange and shoreline response are monitored to understand the dependency between zones and the global path to equilibrium of the whole profile.