New research reveals how sand moves in surf zones, impacting coastal erosion.
The researchers conducted experiments on beaches to study how sand moves in the surf zone. They used colored tracers to track the sand movement and found that the speed and depth of sand mixing varied across the surf zone. They also measured wave height and current velocity. The results showed that the sand transport rate can be predicted using wave power and current velocity. However, they noticed a decrease in sand movement speed over time in most experiments.