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Alongshore Momentum Balance Analysis On A Cuspate Foreland, Nirnimesh Kumar, George Voulgaris, Jeffery H. List, John C. Warner

George Voulgaris

Nearshore measurements of waves and currents off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U.S.A, are used to investigate depth-averaged subtidal circulation and alongshore momentum balances in the surf and inner shelf region around a cuspate foreland. Data were collected on both sides of the cape representing shorefaces with contrasting shoreline orientation (north-south vs. northwest-southeast) subjected to the same wind forcing. In the nearshore, the subtidal flow is aligned with the local coastline orientation while at the cape point the flow is along the existing submerged shoal, suggesting that cape associated shoals may act as an extension of the coastline. Alongshore momentum balance …