Sediment transport in the coastal zone: an intercomparison between numerical estimates and field measurements

Abstract

A one-dimensional vertical (1-DV) numerical model that predicts mean sediment transport rates has been recently updated with state-of-the-art methods and tested against available field observations. Model calibration has been done through a comparison analysis between formulations regarding three main parameters: bed roughness, reference concentration and sediment vertical mixing coefficient. The objective was to find the optimal combination of formulae based on the agreement of the model results with field data. Though important discrepancies were found between different predictors, with differences reaching, in some cases, two orders of magnitude, the best combinations of predictors allowed a very good agreement between model predictions and observations.