Wave steepness is defined as: 



H /L 



where deepwater wave height was calculated from wave heights recorded at the 

 gage and the deepwater wavelength was calculated using L„ = g T 2 /2n . The 

 wave steepness did not directly correlate with the measured profile changes. 

 A closer relationship occurred with the wave power and bar and berm crest 

 positions. The wave power increased during high wave events and corresponded 

 to offshore movement in the inner bar crest. With periods of lower wave 

 power, the bar migrated onshore. 



Sediment Grain- Size Distributions 



31. Surface sediment samples were collected at 17 stations across the 

 profile. These stations covered all the beach environments from the dune to 

 the nearshore shelf. Figure 11 shows the divisions of these stations into 

 morphologic groups. Stations 1 and 2 (the dune group) were located on the top 

 of the frontal dune, and sediment distribution was dominated by the man-made 

 nature of the dune and eolian transport, since they were well out of reach of 

 wave action. Sample Stations 3 (dune base) , 4 (upper berm) , 5 (berm crest) , 

 and 6 (foreshore) comprised the subaerial beach group. Sediment distribution 

 along this portion of the profile was controlled by some eolian transport at 

 the dune base and berm and swash uprush and backwash on the foreshore , which 

 expanded in areal extent during storm events. With the active movement in 

 the inner bar and trough, samples collected at Stations 7 through 10 were 

 alternately located somewhere in the trough to somewhere on the bar feature 

 (i.e. front face, crest, and back face) depending on the profile shape on any 

 given sampling day and were collectively the bar/trough group. Sediment 

 grain-size distribution was controlled by breaking waves on the bar and surf 

 zone generated currents in the trough. The remaining stations comprised the 

 nearshore group, with Station 11 alternately in the second shallow trough to 

 the beginning of the flatter sloping nearshore, depending on profile shape. 

 Stations 12 through 17 were spaced out across the planar nearshore slope of 

 the profile with very little variation in the elevation from one sampling 

 period to the next. The dynamics of sediment deposition in this area was a 



39 



