5-7 Coupled Topobathymetric and X-band Radar Observations of Nearshore Storm Response in a Fetch-Limited System

Session: Nearshore and Estuarine Research: Dynamics and Future Resiliency in the Coastal Zone (Posters)

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Storms are the primary driver of change in coastal systems, generating dynamic responses through changes in water level and wave energy. While much is understood about how storms shape coastal systems along ocean coasts, less is known about storm-driven dynamics in fetch-limited environments such as estuaries, bays, or large lake coasts. The nearshore of these areas is often characterized by multiple shore-parallel bars, which can influence the morphodynamics before, during, and after storm events. There is a general understanding that sediment in these systems is cycled between the onshore and nearshore environments in association with storms. However, few studies are able to truly characterize bar and swash morphodynamics on shorter, storm-event timescales, and continue documentation far into the post-storm recovery period. This is even less understood in large lakes such as the Great Lakes, where rapidly evolving storms and winter ice cover limit field study windows. To address this gap, we documented beach and nearshore morphodynamics associated with winter storms at a wave-dominated sandy beach along the Lake Michigan coast. Topobathymetric surveys were conducted before and after storms to physically document changes, and X-band coastal radar surveys at a second sandy beach site along Lake Michigan were conducted to examine the nearshore bar dynamics during storms. Initial results show promise in combining repeated topobathymetric surveys and X-band radar to analyze nearshore morphodynamics. The use of radar allows for sediment dynamics and bar evolution to be studied during storms when other field surveys are often not practical. This approach aims to identify the conditions that lead to the greatest impacts from storms along these coasts, and ultimately to help guide coastal management and policy, both along large lakes and estuarine systems.

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