LONG-TERM MORPHOLOGICAL MODELING AT COASTAL INLETS
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Coastal Modeling System (CMS) is used to simulate the long-term morphodynamics of coastal barrier-inlet systems. The CMS consists of an integrated numerical modeling system for simulating wave, current, water levels, sediment transport and morphology change. In order to quantify the physical effects of long-term, regional climactic changes in the environment, numerical morphodynamic models must be able to reproduce the known generic characteristics that drive barrier inlet processes, including equilibrium inlet dimensions and sediment budget for the tidal shoals. In this study, model results are presented for a 10-year simulation of an idealized inlet and bay system with dimensions similar to that of Humboldt Bay, CA. The model reproduces reasonably well several geomorphic and hydrodynamic features of the inlet at Humboldt Bay. The model results demonstrate the feasibility of applying the CMS for simulating long-term morphology at coastal inlets for practical applications.