Modelization of longshore sediment transport in low-energy beaches.Vistahermosa beach (Cadiz Bay)

Theoretical and empirical estimations of the longshore sediment transport were applied to a beach in the northern Cádiz Bay. In the first case, several predictive models were applied by combining energetic, morphological and sedimentological characteristics of the beach. In the second case, a field experiment was been carried out by injecting tracers in the beachface, with a later sampling permitted to determine the displacement of the centre of mass. At the same time, remobilization depth was quantified by using rods and sticks. As a conclusion, it can be stated that the models give super-estimations of the real amount of transported sediment measured in the field. This contradiction confirms the limited applicability of these kind of predictive models in a low energy coast like this