• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.251-269
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• 2022

The process-based XBeach model has numerous empirical parameters because of insufficient understanding of hydrodynamics and sediment transport on the nearshore; hence, it is necessary to calibrate parameters to apply to various study areas and wave conditions. Therefore, the calibration process of parameters is essential for the improvement of model performance. Generally, the trial-and-error method is widely used; however, this method is passive and limited to various and comprehensive parameter ranges. In this study, the Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) method was used to estimate the optimal range of three parameters (gamma, facua, and gamma2) using morphological field data collected in Maengbang beach during the four typhoons that struck from September to October 2019. The model performance and optimal range of empirical parameters were evaluated using Brier Skill Score (BSS) along with the baseline profiles, sensitivity, and likelihood density analysis of BSS in the GLUE tools. Accordingly, the optimal parameter combinations were derived when facua was less than 0.15 and simulated well the shifting shape, from crescentic sand bar to alongshore uniform sand bars in the surf zone of Maengbang beach after storm impact. However, the erosion and accretion patterns nearby in the surf zone and shoreline remain challenges in the XBeach model.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.498-504
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• 2016

In this study, to predict the effect of beach nourishment at Haeundae Beach, the waves and wave-induced currents were compared before and after beach nourishment using the XBEACH model. Representative wave conditions were determined for the data observed during 2014 (KHOA). Then, the Hs,max and Hs,1/10 values, and their prevalent directions, were used in the numerical modeling input data. A variable grid system was used for the $5km{\times}2.5km$ model areas, and irregular waves based on the JONSWAP spectrum were given as incident wave conditions. In the summer season, eastward wave-induced currents were developed along the beach by the incident wave direction. Before the beach nourishment, the maximum speed around the surf zone was 1.2-1.5 m/s in the central zone of the beach, whereas the maximum speed increased to 1.4-1.6 m/s at the same areas when the currents toward Mipo Harbor were blocked as an effect of the groins after the beach nourishment. In the winter season, westward wave-induced currents were developed along the beach by the incident wave direction. After the beach nourishment, the maximum current speed increased slightly around the surf zone in the central area of the beach, and the littoral current speed decreased at the submerged breakwaters located at Dongbaek Island. As a result, after the beach nourishment, the maximum wave-induced currents increased about 10% in the surf zone of the central area of the beach.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.446-457
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• 2020

Crescentic sand bar in the coastal zone of eastern Korea is a common morphological feature and the rhythmic patterns exist constantly except for high wave energy events. However, four consecutive typhoons that directly and indirectly affected the East Sea of Korea from September to October in 2019 impacted the formation of longshore uniform sand bar and overall shoreline retreats (approx. 2 m) although repetitive erosion and accretion patterns exist near the shoreline. Widely used XBeach to predict storm erosions in the beach is utilized to investigate the morphological response to a series of storms and each storm impact (NE-E wave incidence). Several calibration processes for improved XBeach modeling are conducted by recently reported calibration methods and the optimal calibration set obtained is applied to the numerical simulation. Using observed wave, tide, and pre & post-storm bathymetries data with optimal calibration set for XBeach input, XBeach successfully reproduces erosion and accretion patterns near MSL (BSS = 0.77 (Erosion profile), 0.87 (Accretion profile)) and observed the formation of the longshore uniform sandbar. As a result of analysis of simulated total sediment transport vectors and bed level changes at each storm peak Hs, the incident wave direction contributes considerable impact to the behavior of crescentic sandbar. Moreover, not only the wave height but also storm duration affects the magnitude of the sediment transport. However, model results suggest that additional calibration processes are needed to predict the exact crest position of bar and bed level changes across the inner surfzone.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.87-98
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• 2018

It is widely known that infragravity waves can exert significant influence on wave run-up over beaches. Large run-ups can lead to overwash, flooding and severe coastal erosion. In spite of the importance of infragravity waves in relation to wave run-up and coastal erosion, few studies have been carried out with regard to the impact of infragravity waves on nearshore morphodynamics with respect to eastern beaches in Korea. The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of infragravity waves in nearshore numerical modelling. For the study, XBeach model was set up to analyze morphodynamics in December 2016, in Ilsan beach which is located in Ilsan-dong, Ulsan Metropolitan City. After validation of the XBeach model, numerical experiments were conducted by using various directional spreading coefficients. As the directional spreading coefficients are increased, the effect of infragravity waves is also enhanced by narrowband frequency. With the increasing effect of infragravity waves, the amount of sediment transport is also increased and an erosion dominant pattern is found in the south part of Ilsan beach and a deposition pattern in the north part of the beach mainly due to the wave incident direction of NNE.

• Journal of Coastal Disaster Prevention
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• v.4 no.spc
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• pp.245-253
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• 2017

In this study, surface currents measured by small lagrangian GPS drifters (Aquadrifter) in Anmok coastal waters were analysed to account for the variability of nearshore surface current and wave-induced current to understand sediment transport mechanism near the crescentic bars in the surf-zone and near Kangneung breakwater and submerged breakwater in Anmok. The 8 times lagrangian drifter experiments were conducted mostly during in 2nd, 3rd, 4th intensive measurements in winter, summer, and spring seasons with long-term wave observation at the station W1. The analysed surface currents near the breakwaters in Anmok show that wave-induced currents at the middle of the submerged breakwater were separated and flowed toward the shoreline but offshore currents were dominant through the channels between the breakwaters. The longshore currents near the shoreline were flowed to the northwest (southeast) depending on the incoming waves from ENE (NNE). The surface nearshore offshore currents were generated mostly by waves and winds in case of high and low wave energy environments. Using the small-size lagrangian surface drifter experiments, we successfully measured longshore and offshore wave-induced currents in the surf-zone and near submerged breakwater close to Kangneung breakwater. The drifter experiment results show the availability of direct observation of nearshore surface currents to understand the mechanism of sediment transport analysing observed wave-induced current and ebb-current in the surf-zone generated by incoming waves and local winds.

• Journal of Coastal Disaster Prevention
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.111-120
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• 2019

In coastal morphological modelling, there are a number of input factors: wave height, water depth, sand particle size, bed friction coefficients, coastal structures and so forth. Measurements or estimates of these input data may include uncertainties due to errors by the measurement or hind-casting methods. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the uncertainty of each input data and the range of the uncertainty during the evaluation of numerical results. In this study, three uncertainty factors are considered with regard to the prediction of coastal erosion in Ilsan beach located in Ilsan-dong, Ulsan metropolitan city. Those are wave diffraction effect of XBeach model, wave input scenario and the specification of the coastal structure. For this purpose, the values of mean wave direction, significant wave height and the height of the submerged breakwater were adjusted respectively and the followed numerical results of morphological changes are analyzed. There were erosion dominant patterns as the wave direction is perpendicular to Ilsan beach, the higher significant wave height, and the lower height of the submerged breakwater. Furthermore, the rate of uncertainty impacts among mean wave direction, significant wave height and the height of the submerged breakwater are compared. In the study area, the uncertainty influence by the wave input scenario was the largest, followed by the height of the submerged breakwater and the mean wave direction.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.23-60
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• 2016

The major objective of this study was to develop further understanding of 3D nearshore hydrodynamics under a variety of wave and tidal forcing conditions. The main tool used was a comprehensive 3D numerical model - combining the flow module of Delft3D with the WAVE solver of XBeach - of nearshore hydro- and morphodynamics that can simulate flow, sediment transport, and morphological evolution. Surf-swash zone hydrodynamics were modeled using the 3D Navier-Stokes equations, combined with various turbulence models (${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$, ${\kappa}-L$, ATM and H-LES). Sediment transport and resulting foreshore profile changes were approximated using different sediment transport relations that consider both bed- and suspended-load transport of non-cohesive sediments. The numerical set-up was tested against field data, with good agreement found. Different numerical experiments under a range of bed characteristics and incident wave and tidal conditions were run to test the model's capability to reproduce 3D flow, wave propagation, sediment transport and morphodynamics in the nearshore at the field scale. The results were interpreted according to existing understanding of surf and swash zone processes. Our numerical experiments confirm that the angle between the crest line of the approaching wave and the shoreline defines the direction and strength of the longshore current, while the longshore current velocity varies across the nearshore zone. The model simulates the undertow, hydraulic cell and rip-current patterns generated by radiation stresses and longshore variability in wave heights. Numerical results show that a non-uniform seabed is crucial for generation of rip currents in the nearshore (when bed slope is uniform, rips are not generated). Increasing the wave height increases the peaks of eddy viscosity and TKE (turbulent kinetic energy), while increasing the tidal amplitude reduces these peaks. Wave and tide interaction has most striking effects on the foreshore profile with the formation of the intertidal bar. High values of eddy viscosity, TKE and wave set-up are spread offshore for coarser grain sizes. Beach profile steepness modifies the nearshore circulation pattern, significantly enhancing the vertical component of the flow. The local recirculation within the longshore current in the inshore region causes a transient offshore shift and strengthening of the longshore current. Overall, the analysis shows that, with reasonable hypotheses, it is possible to simulate the nearshore hydrodynamics subjected to oceanic forcing, consistent with existing understanding of this area. Part II of this work presents 3D nearshore morphodynamics induced by the tides and waves.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.61-97
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• 2016

This is the second of two papers on the 3D numerical modeling of nearshore hydro- and morphodynamics. In Part I, the focus was on surf and swash zone hydrodynamics in the cross-shore and longshore directions. Here, we consider nearshore processes with an emphasis on the effects of oceanic forcing and beach characteristics on sediment transport in the cross- and longshore directions, as well as on foreshore bathymetry changes. The Delft3D and XBeach models were used with four turbulence closures (viz., ${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$, ${\kappa}-L$, ATM and H-LES) to solve the 3D Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible flow as well as the beach morphology. The sediment transport module simulates both bed load and suspended load transport of non-cohesive sediments. Twenty sets of numerical experiments combining nine control parameters under a range of bed characteristics and incident wave and tidal conditions were simulated. For each case, the general morphological response in shore-normal and shore-parallel directions was presented. Numerical results showed that the ${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$ and H-LES closure models yield similar results that are in better agreement with existing morphodynamic observations than the results of the other turbulence models. The simulations showed that wave forcing drives a sediment circulation pattern that results in bar and berm formation. However, together with wave forcing, tides modulate the predicted nearshore sediment dynamics. The combination of tides and wave action has a notable effect on longshore suspended sediment transport fluxes, relative to wave action alone. The model's ability to predict sediment transport under propagation of obliquely incident wave conditions underscores its potential for understanding the evolution of beach morphology at field scale. For example, the results of the model confirmed that the wave characteristics have a considerable effect on the cumulative erosion/deposition, cross-shore distribution of longshore sediment transport and transport rate across and along the beach face. In addition, for the same type of oceanic forcing, the beach morphology exhibits different erosive characteristics depending on grain size (e.g., foreshore profile evolution is erosive or accretive on fine or coarse sand beaches, respectively). Decreasing wave height increases the proportion of onshore to offshore fluxes, almost reaching a neutral net balance. The sediment movement increases with wave height, which is the dominant factor controlling the beach face shape.