SEDIMENT INTRUSION INTO GAMO LAGOON BY WAVE OVERTOPPING

1 2 3
Hitoshi TANAKA , SUNTOYO and Tsuyoshi NAGASAWA

Abstract: The Gamo Lagoon is located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Aerial

photographs have been being taken for the coastal area including the lagoon
every month or every two months since 1990 up to the present. These aerial
photographs are used to detect the occurrence of wave overtopping and
resultant sediment intrusion into the lagoon during storm waves. Furthermore,
overtopping rate is estimated considering the height of the sand barrier. In
collaboration with surveying data, the volumetric concentration of sediment in
the overwash flow is estimated. It is found that the estimated concentration
obtained in the present study is comparable to laboratory experiment by
Kobayashi et al. (1996) in a small-scale wave flume.

INTRODUCTION
A barrier can be defined as an elongate of sand body to be parallel with shoreline,
which may consist of a number of sandy units including beach, dunes, tidal deltas, wash-
over, and spits. This separates lagoon and estuary from marine environment. In the past
few decades, there have been many researchers who studied the barrier formation from a

1 Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Tohoku University, 06 Aoba, Sendai 980-

8579, Japan.
Phone & Fax:(+81)-22-217-7451, e-mail: tanaka@ tsunami2.civil.tohoku.ac.jp
2 Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Tohoku University, 06 Aoba,
Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
3 Civil Engineer, Division of Port Construction, Pacific Consultants Co., Ltd., 1-7-5
Sekito, Tama, Tokyo 206-8570, Japan.

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

geographical viewpoint (e.g., Nordstrom et al., 1990 ; Davis, 1994 ), but very few of them
studied it from a viewpoint of coastal dynamic processes. As an exceptional attempt from
this viewpoint, studies such as Uda et al. (1992), Hancock and Kobayashi (1994) and
Kobayashi et al. (1996) can be referred.

There will be an increase of possibility to actualize more overtopping on barriers

around the world in future, due to sea level rise related to the global warming. In general, a
lagoon supports unique communities of plants and animals, and is among the most
productive area on earth. In order to make a preservation plan for a lagoon system with
such an abundant nature, it is necessary to understand sufficiently the mechanism of
morphological change of barrier due to overtopping, based on not only by geographical
approach but also by coastal hydrodynamic approach.

This research investigates the actual events of sediment intrusion induced by wave
overtopping into Gamo Lagoon in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The amount of sediment
intrusion in the lagoon is estimated from aerial photographs taken since 1990. Furthermore,
it will be correlated with overtopping discharge estimated using an existing formula, to
formulate the sedimentation process in the form of sand concentration.

SENDAI Sendai Port

. Gamo
Lagoon
Nana kita N
JAPAN River
Section (b)
Section (a)
Section (2)
Section (1)

0 1km
Sendai Bay

Fig. 1. Gamo Lagoon on Sendai Coast, Japan

STUDY AREA AND DATA ANALYSIS

Gamo Lagoon is the study area of the present investigation, and the topography
around it is shown in Figure 1. Gamo Lagoon has the area of about 1000m150m, and
this area is famous to local citizens for plenty of migratory birds coming to this lagoon

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

during winter ( Kurihara, 1988 ).
The history of the study area is shown in Photo 1 using aerial photographs taken by
the Geographical Survey Institute, Japan. Gamo Lagoon used to be a river channel
formerly, a part of Nanakita River as seen in Photo 1(a). At that time, the mouth of
Nanakita River was located at 2km northeast of the present river entrance. The
development of the sand spit with the length of about 2km towards the north indicates the
predominant direction of longshore sediment in this area from the south to the north
( Tanaka and Suzuki, 1994 ). Sometimes, a flood in the Nanakita River basin caused
flushing of the sand spit at the base of it, resulting in the formation of another river entrance
as seen in Photo 1(a). Later, when the construction of the breakwater started at the Sendai
Port, the entrance of Nanakita River has been fixed at the location of the present one by
the construction of the jetty on the left hand side of the mouth ( Photo 1(b) ). Afterwards,
the lagoon has been reclaimed in the northern area ( Photo 1(c) ), and the present shape of
Gamo Lagoon was formed. It is noted in Photo 1(c) that the shoreline near the breakwater
at the Sendai Port had been slightly eroded. Thereafter, the erosion in this area became
more considerable in Photo 1(d) in 1986, forming a crenulate shape of the retreated
shoreline. It has already been found that the severe erosion in this area can be attributed to
the reflection of waves from the breakwater at the Sendai Port ( Shiogama Port
Construction Office, 1984 ). More detailed description on the shoreline change in this area,
along with more recent behavior, can be found elsewhere ( Tanaka and Mori, 2001 ). The
sediment intrusion into Gamo Lagoon by wave overtopping has close relationship with the
retreat of the coastline in the vicinity to the breakwater at Sendai Port, as will be described
later.

Aerial photographs around the river mouth have been being taken from May, 1990
to March, 1994 every month and thereafter every two months. The occurrence of wave
overtopping and resulting overwashing was detected by analyzing aerial photographs in this
area. Furthermore, in order to specify storm waves that caused the overwash, the wave
data measured off Sendai Port was analyzed.

(a) 1947
Photo 1. Morphological change in the study area

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

 (b) 1968

(c) 1977

(d) 1986

Photo 1. Morphological change in the study area (continued)

SEDIMENT INTRUSION INTO GAMO LAGOON

Analysis of Aerial Photograph

From the analysis of aerial photographs, two cases of distinct sediment intrusion in
the lagoon could be observed in 1993 and 1994. The aerial photographs before and after

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

the occurrence of the remarkable overwashing are shown in Photos 2 and 3 for these two
events of overwashing. In Photo 2 taken in December, 1993, slight deposit of sediment
can be observed, as illustrated by the arrow in Photo 2(b). In other area, however, the
topography change is not so noticeable between these two aerial photographs.

In contrast to Photo 2 in 1993, the overwashing occurred in 1994 was more

considerable, as shown in Photo 3. The sediment deposit in the form of overwash fan can
be seen at several places along the waterline in the lagoon, as denoted by the arrows in
Photo 3(b). Moreover, it can be observed that the black-colored vegetated area on the
right hand side in Photo 3(a) has been covered with sand transported by wave
overtopping in Photo 3(b). However, the tip of the overwash fan did not reach

(a) November 1993

(b) December 1993

Photo 2. Aerial photograph before and after sediment intrusion into Gamo Lagoon in
1993

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

the water line. It is thus noted that in the area where the distance between the shoreline and
the waterline in the lagoon is shorter, the sediment deposit into the lagoon is more
remarkable.

(a) September 1994

(b) November 1994

Photo 3. Aerial photograph before and after sediment intrusion into Gamo Lagoon in
1994

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

Cross-sectional Change due to Overwashing
Immediately after the second event of overwashing in 1994, the cross-shore beach
profile along Sections (1) & (2) ( see Figure 1 ) has been measured by Uehara et al.
(1996), as seen in Figure 2. It is observed that the thickness of the deposited sediment is
about 1.0m to 2.0m. The averaged value, 1.5m, will be used hereafter to evaluate
sediment volume intruded into Gamo Lago during two storm events in 1993 and 1994.

2.5

Section (1),1979
Elevation above M.S.L (m)

2 Section (1),1995

1.5

0.5

-0.5
0 50 100 150
(m)

(a) Section (1)

2.5

Section (2),1979
2
Elevation ab ove M.S.L (m)

Section (2),1995

1.5

0.5

-0.5
0 50 1 00 150
(m)

(b) Section (2)

Fig. 2. Beach profile along Sections (1) & (2). ( Uehara et al., 1996 )

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEDIMENT INTRUSION AND WAVES

Wave Height and Wave Run-Up

As described above, the detection of remarkable sediment intrusion was done using
photographs with the interval of one or two months. In the analysis of wave data to specify
high waves that caused the overwashing, it was not difficult to detect the train of high
waves, because there was no other high waves attacked this area during each interval.
Figures 3(a) and 3(b) denote hydraulic characteristics for the periods thus detected,
showing the time-variation of the tidal elevation, the wave height, and the wave run-up
height calculated from significant wave data every two hours. Here, the wave run-up height
is calculated using the following equation proposed by Ogawa and Shuto (1984 ).

0.2 0.75
H
R H
u = 0.767s 0.12 o 3.04 s1.07 0.129 A 2 s 0.09 m 2



o

H L


L




o o


o

1
H
+ 0.212 Am o
2
(1)
L
o

where Ru: the run-up height, H0: the deep water wave height, L0: the deep water wave
length, s: the slope in the surf zone, m: the slope in the foreshore zone, and

f
1+ 2
A= a m (2)
(1 + 2 a )(1 + a )
where f is the friction coefficient and a=0.26 for m>0.1 and 0.13m-0.3 for m<0.1. The
wave run-up height is shown in Fig.3 after adding the tidal elevation to show the real height
of the run-up with respect to the mean sea level. It is seen that the maximum run-up is
higher than the level of sand barrier, indicating overtopping surely occurred during these
periods with high waves.

Sediment Concentration
In order to make a precise formulation of intruded sediment into the
lagoon, the investigation of wave run-up height described above is not sufficient. Thus,
relationship between wave overtopping rate and transported sediment volume will be
discussed herein.

Hancock and Kobayashi (1994) and Kobayashi et al.(1996) used an equation

proposed De Waal and Van der Meer (1992) to estimate overtopping rate over a coastal
dune. Including the equation of De Waal and Van der Meer (1992), there have been a

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

great number of studies on wave overtopping rate over a coastal structure. However,
these existing formulae cannot directly be applied to the present investigation dealing with
overtopping over a natural beach. In this study, more simplified formula of Tominaga and
Sakuma (1971) will be employed. They carried out experiments of wave overtopping on a
coastal dike with the front slope of 1:3, and proposed an empirical formula,
Q0 = ( Ru H c )
n
(3)

6
Run-up Height + Tidal Le vel (m)
Deepwater Wa ve Heigh t (m)
5 Tidal Wave (m)
ti de , tide+R u, Ho (m)

4
Top of Barrier (=3m)
3

-1 Nov. 12 Nov. 1 3 Nov. 14 Nov. 15 Nov. 1 6

(a) November 1993

6
Run-up Height + Tidal Level (m)
Deepwater Wave Height (m)
5
Tidal Level (m)
tide , tide+R u, H o (m)

4
Top of Barrier (=3m)
3

0
Sep. 16 Sep. 17 Sep. 18 Sep. 19 Sep. 20
-1

(b) September 1994

Fig. 3. Tidal level, wave height and wave run-up height

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

where Q0 (cm3/cm): the overtopping per wave per unit width, Hc (cm): the height of a
coastal dike, and the wave run-up height Ru can be calculated using Eq.(1) proposed by
Ogawa and Shuto (1984). Furthermore, and n in Eq.(2) are respectively assumed to be
0.5 and 2.0 in cm-s unit, based on Tominaga and Sakumas study (1971). In the
application of the present study, Eq.(3) is slightly modified as follows, considering time-
variation of the sea water level, tide.

Q0 = ( Ru + tide H c )
n
(4)

Here, it should be noted that Eq.(4) can be applied for estimating overtopping of regular
waves, whereas Goda (1985) has pointed out the importance of irregularity in the
computation of wave overtopping under irregular waves. In this study, therefore, the
expected rate of wave overtopping rate is calculated using the following equation, as
suggested by Goda (1985).

Q = 0 Q0 (H T1 / 3 ) p( H )dH

(5)

where Q0 (H T1 / 3 ) : the overtopping rate by regular waves with height H and period T1/3,
and p(H): the probability density function of wave height. The Rayleigh distribution is used
for p(H).

Figure 4 shows the time-variation of accumulated overtopping discharge for the

event in 1993 and 1994 estimated by Eq.(4). As already shown in Fig.3, the estimated
duration of overtopping is longer in 1994, resulting in larger amount of overtopping rate as
illustrated in Fig.4.

800
Overtopping (Nov. 1993)
Overtopping (Sep. 1994)
600
Qtotal (m /m)
3

400

200

0 24 48 72 96 120
Tim e (ho ur)
Fig. 4. Accumulated overtopping rate in 1993 and 1994

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

 Table 1 Total overtopping discharge, deposited sediment volume and concentration of
sediment.

Total overtopping Deposited Concentration

discharge sediment of
Qtotal (m3/m) volume sediment
Qs(m3/m) Cs=Qs/Q total
November 1993 261 10 0.038
September 1994 688 80 0.116

From the analysis of aerial photograph and overtopping rate, concentration of

sediment can be estimated for each overwashing, as given in Table 1. Furthermore, the
relationship between overtopping discharge and sediment transport rate into Gamo
Lagoon is plotted in Figure 5, along with the laboratory experiment data by Kobayashi et
al. (1996). It is observed that both Q and Qs in the present study (and ) are much
higher than laboratory data of Kobayashi et al.(1996). Furthermore, it is noticeable that
the present data lies on the empirical line of Kobayashi et al. (1996), Eq.(4), indicating
sediment concentration Cs is almost constant, 0.039.

Qs = 0.039Q (6)

This result suggests that the sediment transport rate due to wave overtopping can be
estimated from overtopping discharge by employing Eq.(6).

102
Overwash rates per unit time, Q s(cm /cm/sec)

Exp. data (Kobayashi et. al, 1996)

Gamo Lagoon data (Nov. 1993)
Gamo Lagoon data (Sep. 1994)
3

101

Qs = 0.039 Q
100

10-1

10-2

-3
10 -2 -1 0 1 2
10 10 10 10 10
Overtopping rates per unit time, Q (cm 3/cm/sec)

Fig. 5. Relation between amount of overtopping and transportation sediment volume

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

CONCLUSIONS
The conclusions obtained in this study are summarized as follows.
(1) Analysis of aerial photographs revealed that considerable sediment intrusion occurred
into Gamo Lagoon by overtopping in 1993 and 1994.
(2) The date of the occurrence of wave overwash can be determined from the analysis of
wave run-up height. Furthermore, wave overtopping rare is estimated using an exiting
formula for coastal dikes with front slope.It is found that the relationship between
overwash rate Qs and overtopping rate Q can approximately be correlated as
Qs = 0.039Q , being coincides which the proposal of Kobayashi et al. (1996) based
on small-scale tests.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to express their grateful thanks to Professor Shuto, Iwate
Prefectural University for his constructive comment during the course of this study. The
appreciation is extended to the Shiogama Construction Office, the Ministry of Transport,
and the Higashi Sendai Construction Office, the Miyagi Prefectural Government for their
kind offer of the field data used in this study. This research was partially supported by the
Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research (B), No.14350262.

REFERENCES
Davis, R.A.: Geology of Holocene Barrier Island Systems, Springer Verlag, 464p, 1994.
De Waal, J.P. and Van der Meer, J.W.: Wave runup and overtopping on coastal
structures, Proc. 23rd Int. Conf. Coastal Eng., pp.1758-1771, 1992.
Goda, Y.: Random Seas and Design of Maritime Structure, University of Tokyo Press,
pp.145-154, 1985.
Hancock, M.W. and Kobayashi, N.: Wave overtopping and sediment transport over
dunes, Proc. 24th Int. Conf. Coastal Eng., pp.2028-2042, 1994.
Kobayashi, N., Tega, Y. and Hancock, M.W.: Wave reflection and overwash of dunes,
Jour. Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Eng., pp.150-153, 1996.
Kurihara, Y. (ed.): Ecology and Ecotechnology in Estuarine-Coastal Area, Tokai
University Press, 335p, 1988. (in Japanese)
Nordstrom, K.F., N. Psuty and B. Carter (ed.): Coastal Dunes, Form and Process,
John Wiley & Sons, 392p, 1990.
Ogawa, Y. and N. Shuto: Run-up of periodic waves on beaches of non-uniform slope,
Proc. 19th Int. Conf. Coastal Eng., pp.328-344, 1984.
Shiogama Port Construction Office: Report of Bathymetry and Shoreline Change
around Sendai Port, Ministry of Transport, 134p, 1984. (in Japanese)
Tanaka, H. and Suzuki, M.: Prediction of shoreline change and grain-size sorting at the
Sendai Bay Coast, Sediment Transport Mechanisms in Coastal Environment
and Rivers, pp.167-181, 1994.
Tanaka, H. and Mori, T.: Separation of shoreline change caused by cross-shore and

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo

 longshore sediment transports, Proc. Coastal Dynamics 01, pp.192-201, 2001.
Tominaga, M. and Sakuma, N.: Wave overtopping on coastal dikes, Proc. Japanese
Conf. Coastal Eng., Vol.17, pp.133-140, 1970. (in Japanese)
Uda, T., Yamamoto, K., Nagase, K. and Igarashi, T.: Experimental study on formation
process of barrier, Proc. Japanese Conf. Coastal Eng., Vol.41, pp.551-555,
1994. (in Japanese)
Uehara, T., Yamashita, H. and Iwabuchi, M.: Change in water volume in Gamo Lagoon,
Proc. Annual Meeting of JSCE Tohoku Branch, pp.216-217, 1996. (in Japanese)

Tanaka, Nagasawa and Suntoyo