Bottom stress estimates and sand transport on northern California inner continental shelf

Continental Shelf Research
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Abstract

Measurements of velocities and light transmission in the bottom boundary layer on the continental shelf off northern California demonstrate the importance of storms in the transport of sediment along the coast and offshore in this region. Time-series estimates of bottom stress obtained from a combined wave-current bottom boundary layer model in which wave and current measurements from the Geoprobe tripod were used as input show high stress values of 10 dynes cm−2 during two distinct storm events in early February and early March, 1991. These stresses induce significant offshore sediment transport, achieving maximum values of about 0.5 g cm−1 s−1. The net transport over the entire measurement period from 30 January 1991 to 13 March 1991 was along the coast toward the north and offshore. This transport pattern explains slow migration of low amplitude, broad crescentic dunes along and across this portion of the inner continental shelf.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Bottom stress estimates and sand transport on northern California inner continental shelf
Series title Continental Shelf Research
DOI 10.1016/0278-4343(94)90038-8
Volume 14
Issue 10-11
Year Published 1994
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Description 17 p.
First page 1273
Last page 1289
Country United States
State California
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