Hydrodynamic and Morphologic Modeling at Sebastian Inlet, FL

Numerical model simulations of tidal inlet hydrodynamics, sand transport and topographic change were performed using the Coastal Modeling System (CMS) to investigate the morphological response to time varying forcing, sediment texture, and the influence of rock reef outcrops within the Sebastian Inlet system. The presence or absence of rock within the inlet throat and in the surf zone on the south side of the inlet resulted in distinctive differences in topographic changes to the ebb shoal over a year long simulation. Comparisons between three sand transport formulations over a shorter period (2 months) showed some variation among the formulations, but predicted net topographic changes were well within an order of magnitude. Comparisons between predicted and measured net topographic changes demonstrated agreement in terms of pattern. Agreement in absolute terms improved as the model spatial resolution was refined by decreasing cell sizes.