Short-term backshore processes under wave and wind actions

Wave and wind impacts on short-term backshore processes were investigated through field observations of daily bed elevation, sand grain size, and wave, tide, and wind conditions at an open-ocean dissipative beach in Japan from September 2004 to March 2005. Indices of wave and wind impacts were defined by wave run-up level and wind-driven sand transport rate, respectively. The results show that waves have larger effects than winds on backshore sedimentation. Furthermore, both waves and winds cause sand coarsening in the backshore. Run-up waves are the external force with the greatest impact on backshore processes, followed by landward strong winds, and mild winds.