Abstract:
This paper reviews the physical 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 ebbdominance
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, peaking in late autumn. Recent results
also suggest that infragravity waves may play a major role.
