Longshore sediment transport rates on a microtidal estuarine beach

Longshore sediment transport rates were estimated on a microtidal estuarine beach in Great South Bay, N.Y., during two dyed sand tracer experiments using a temporal sampling method. Mean onshore wind speeds of 5.8 and 9.9 m/s resulted in root-mean-square wave heights of 0.07 and 0.08 m and wave angles of 3.0 and 10.1, causing transport rates of 0.468 and 0.972 m3/h. Rates were 3.1 to 6.5 times greater than predicted by existing equations using standard coefficients. Greater rates are attributed to the concentration of sediment transport in the energetic swash zone under plunging breakers.