Variation of longshore current and sediment transport along the south Maharashtra coast, west coast of India

Abstract

The longshore current velocity varied between 0.1 and 0.33 m.sec-1. The longshore current direction was predominantly southward at Ratnagiri, Ambolgarh, whereas it was variable at Vengurla during the study period. Based on the field measurements, the estimated longshore sediment transport rates at Ratnagiri, Ambolgarh and Vengurla were 1.19 x 10(5), 1.9 x 10(5) and 0.53 x 10(5) m3.y-1 respectively and the direction was southward. Significance of field measurement is emphasized here, in view of the large variation in the computed longshore sediment transport rates reported in earlier studies.