On the Scaling of Sediment Transport in the Nearshore Introduction

This paper investigates the scaling of sediment transport by waves in the nearshore. Scaling of sediment is often needed in laboratory wave flumes where spatial dimensions are about a factor 10 smaller. Generally, for the physical model, normal sand is chosen with a relatively small diameter. Scaling relations are consulted to translate the spatial dimension and sediment flux to prototype values. Often, the correct scaling of processes, such as transport modes and turbulence regimes, are ignored. However, when the objective is to study intra wave sediment transport it is vital to ensure that the laboratory model has the same flow and transport regimes as in the prototype. Since a great range of artificial sediment is available, the objective here is to find suitable sediment properties to model intra wave sediment transport.