A Chronology-Based Wave Input Reduction Technique for Simulations of Long-Term Coastal Morphological Changes: An Application to the Beach of Mastichari, Kos Island, Greece

Abstract

The main objective of the present paper is to achieve the simulation of the long-term (e.g., annual) morphological evolution (bathymetry and shoreline) of a coastal area (Mastichari beach, Greece) due to wind-generated waves in an accurate and cost-effective way. For this purpose, wave climate schematization techniques are adopted in order to reduce the computational effort without losing or distorting the crucial information. Referring to the current practice, the wave chronology is not considered in detail in these acceleration techniques, and therefore, sea bottom and shoreline evolution are not estimated as a function of time. To fill this gap, a novel and easy-to-use chronology-based wave input reduction method is developed to produce representative wave time series of different intensities and durations. The performance of all the applied techniques in the present study is evaluated, and a comparative analysis is conducted. It is shown that the new chronology-based wave input reduction method can achieve a model run-time reduction of about 70%, while at the same time, it provides satisfactorily accurate results. In general, this research could be useful for coastal engineering studies and coastal zone monitoring, and thus, it would be a valuable tool for coastal engineers and marine scientists.