Abstract:
This paper presents a review of the processes controlling wave-dominated inlets, based on several studies conducted at
two inlets located on the West Coast of Portugal. Once the observed hydrodynamics and morphological changes are
reasonably simulated, numerical experiments are performed to explain the development of the inlet during fair weather
conditions and its shoaling and closure during winter storms. The former behaviour is explained by a tidal distortion
that promotes ebb-dominance while the latter is explained by the combination of several wave-related processes: (1)
the “bulldozer effect” due to the shore-normal component of wave forces; (2) the presence of lateral barotropic
pressure gradients, accelerating longshore flows towards the inlet; (3) wave blocking during the ebb and (4) a rise in
mean sea level in late autumn. Recent results also suggest that infragravity waves may play a major role.