On Uncertainties in Determination of Sediment Transport Rates in Coastal Regions

Abstract

Abstract The paper deals with research uncertainties, difficulties, inaccuracies and unreliabilities related to the modelling of physical phenomena involving coastal lithodynamics. The considerations are focused on processes of wave transformation, wave-driven currents and sediment transport itself. It is shown that possible inaccuracies at individual stages of the modelling of coastal hydrodynamics can lead to serious uncertainties with respect to the ultimate modelling output, namely bed shear stresses and sediment transport rates. These inaccuracies result mostly from arbitrarily assumed parameters and constants. Other modelling biases discussed in the paper comprise simplifications and approximations with respect to sediment resources and size-graded properties, randomness of hydrodynamic impacts, bottom roughness and land-borne factors involved in coastal lithodynamics.