The coastal studies group of the Departement of Physical Geography/IMAU of Utrecht University is involved in studies of coastal morphodynamics, large scale coastal behaviour and coastal zone management issues. Part of the studies require a solid knowledge of hydrodynamics, sand transport and bed morphology in coastal waters.
The aim of these (process-based) studies is twofold: to increase the understanding of basic physical processes (such as waves, currents, sediment fluxes and the morphological response and feedback) operating in the nearshore zone and to establish data bases for the calibration, validation and improvement of physical-mathematical models for coastal morphodynamics.
To improve the knowledge of sand transport as a function of wave, current and sediment conditions, an innovative field measurement system for coastal waters was developed which can be used to determine the depth-integrated sand transport rate up to 20 m during weather conditions up to Beaufort wind scale 9.