Hydrodynamics and sediment transport within the inner surf zone of a lacustrine multiple-barred nearshore

Within the inner surf zone, these bar-scale relationships are constrained by the shoaling transformations, which occur over the outermost bar. For ranges of incident wave height defined locally (e.g. intermediate waves Hs = 0.4 to 0.9 m; storm waves = 0.9 to 1.4 m) the innermost and middle bars remain in a state of self-organized equilibrium. For intermediate range waves, this equilibrium is a consequence of wave height reduction over the outer bar through breaking and the generation of secondary (harmonic) waves. For the storm wave range, the equilibrium is maintained through a resonant amplification of discrete edge wave modes, with the bars forced to a position coincident with the surface elevation antinodes. These upper shoreface scale feedback mechanisms are weakened (particularly for intermediate wave heights) following threshold storms capable of moving the outermost bar offshore and lower on the profile. This allows the middle and inner bars to be forced directly by variations in the offshore incident waves. Thus, the bars respond in a cyclic manner, the bar cycle.