Beaching model for buoyant marine debris in bore-driven swash

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simplified model for buoyant marine debris beaching in bore-driven swash zones, validated by experiments, highlighting key parameters like particle inertia and wave timing that influence debris beaching.

Contribution

It develops and validates a new simplified model for debris beaching in bore-driven swash, improving understanding of the process and key influencing parameters.

Findings

Particle inertia significantly affects beaching behavior.

Timing and velocity of debris entry are critical factors.

Model validation confirms key parameters influence beaching outcomes.

Abstract

Marine debris pollution is a growing problem impacting aquatic ecosystems, coastal recreation, and human society. Beaches are known to be a sink for debris, and beaching needs to be accounted for in marine debris mass balances. The process of buoyant debris beaching is not sufficiently well understood in order to include this process yet. We develop a simplified model for buoyant marine debris transport in bore-driven swash (where the water wets the beach with each incoming wave). We validate the model with laboratory experiments and use the combined results from the model and experiments to understand the parameters that are important for dictating particle beaching. The most relevant parameters are the particle inertia and the timing and velocity with which debris particles enter the swash zone.