SUTOffiRY REPORT ON STUDIES OF SAND TRANSPORTATION 

 BY WAVE ACTION 



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FOREWORD 



The following report is a summary of investigations conducted by 

 the Department of Engineering, University of California, under contract 

 W«-4.9-055~Eng~2 with the Beach Erosion Board. Individual reports 

 summarized herein and listed at the end of the report are on file in 

 the Board's library. They are available on 30-day loan upon request. 



Introd uction 



The purpose of this investigation was to define the more important 

 factors involved in the littoral transportation of sand by wave action. 

 The scope of this study was relatively broad and included both model 

 and field studies. The model studies consisted of investigations of 

 (a) sand movement with two dimensional wave motion, (b) influence of 

 groins on beach stabilization, and (c) the movement of sand by waves 

 acting at an angle to a straight beach. The field studies consisted of 

 (a) a comprehensive analysis of all available field data to determine 

 a generalized relationship between sediment, beach and wave character- 

 istics, (b) the measurement of the wave characteristics and the sand 

 accumulation at Santa Barbara Harbor in order to estimate the average 

 rate of sand transport that might be expected from given wave conditions 

 Eventually, it is believed that model and field studies as conducted 

 in this investigation will permit the coastal engineer to estimate 

 expected rates of littoral drift at any given location on a coast ex- 

 posed to wave action . 



In addition to the model and field studies mentioned above, wave 

 recorders were operated at various locations along the Pacific Coast. 

 SZ&CrfleLGShe recordj^s from these recorders were analyzed for the significant 

 height and period, and the data then summarized in tabular form for 

 distribution to interested agencies. 



A supplementary task order to this contract was the ; compilation 

 of certain data of a classified nature. Because of the classification, 

 this material is not summarized in this report. 



MODEL STUDIES OF SAND TRANSPORTATION 

 BY WAVE ACTION 



Sand Movement in Two Dimensional Wave Motion 



Before the investigation described below in items B and C could 

 be conducted, it was necessary to determine whether certain relatively 



