Hindcast of sediment flow along the Curonian Spit under different wave climates

A rotation of wave approach direction by more than 10 degrees could lead to the complete disappearance of convergence points of sediment flow along the Curonian Spit, potentially causing substantial coastal damage. The study analyzed longshore sediment transport under existing and future wave climates using the CERC formula, based on numerically simulated long-term time series of wave properties from 1970–2007. While the spit is currently in an almost perfect equilibrium shape, systematic rotation of wave approach directions showed a linear increase in net transport rate, though bulk transport rates would remain largely unchanged.

Viska, M., & Soomere, T. (2012). Hindcast of sediment flow along the Curonian Spit under different wave climates. 2012 IEEE/OES Baltic International Symposium (BALTIC), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/baltic.2012.6249195