PART VI: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



59. This unique data set of long-term beach profile elevations, sedi- 

 ment samples , and wave data has provided a rare opportunity to examine the 

 interaction between cross -shore profile changes and the resulting grain- size 

 distributions for the wide range of energy environments found across the 

 active beach profile under varying wave conditions . Spatial changes indicate 

 that the most active part of the profile at the FRF is the bar/trough area, 

 which alternately moves seaward after storms and migrates landward during fair 

 weather wave conditions. The highest variability in sediment grain- size dis- 

 tributions occurred on the subaerial beach and foreshore area. The most 

 stable sediment distributions occurred on the most stable portion of the pro- 

 file in the nearshore area seaward of 450 m from the baseline. High wave 

 activity caused the foreshore to erode and sediment to migrate into the sea- 

 ward direction (and alongshore, which was beyond the scope of the present 

 study). After these high-energy events, the sediments became coarser and more 

 poorly sorted. Lower energy wave conditions for long periods of time created 

 conditions of landward migration of the inner bar and accretion on the fore- 

 shore, with deposition of finer sediments. 



60. Sediment sample spacing across the profile is important to identify 

 the changes. From this study, it was found that the dune sample distribution 

 changes little, since most of the transport is limited to the finer sizes due 

 to wind. With the high variability in sediment of the beach group, more sam- 

 ples of closer spacing are needed. The beach at the FRF is composed of coarse 

 material. Coarser grain-size distributions lead to higher variability in 

 sediment distributions (Bascom 1959). This higher variability in coarser sand 

 beaches requires more samples of the foreshore region (Anders and Hansen 

 1990). From their study, as well as others, and the apparent variability in 

 Station 6 on the foreshore in this present study, it is recommended that more 

 samples be collected in the foreshore region on coarse beaches. Additional 

 samples should be collected at the area of MHW, midtide region, and the MLW 

 area to characterize the active foreshore area. Uniformity of sediment dis- 

 tributions in the nearshore region requires less sediment samples to charac- 

 terize that region. Surprisingly, the bar/trough group showed less variabil- 

 ity than expected, but wave- and current- induced depositional areas vary 

 greatly, depending on the position and shape of the bar, trough, and lower 



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