Hydrodynamics of a headland-bay beach—Nearshore current circulation

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the hydrodynamic equilibrium of a headland or semi-elliptic shaped beach. It is shown that the state of equilibrium depends not only on the in- and outgoing sediment but also on the accommodation of the sediment within the embayment. The shape and relative depth of shoals, or settling zones, also directly affect the wave and current patterns inside the bay, within which the resultant breaker line almost stops wave-induced currents at some locations, whereas the magnitude of current increases at other locations. Several numerical tests are analytically conducted in a semi-elliptic beach with two symmetrical shoals of varying relative depth where circulatory current systems are detected and analyzed. Numerical modelling for wave climate and wave-induced current estimation is also presented in order to corroborate results and provide a tool for complicated and/or physical domains. The results lead to a redefinition of the concept of equilibrium for headland-bay beaches taking into account not only the net sediment transport but also the role of the formation and disappearance of settling zones, as well as sediment interchanges between the beach and shoals.