Coastal Sediment Budget On The Northern Beaches Of Sydney

Sediment is material that transported to and from coasts by winds and water. Sediment flows in and out of coastal systems. The amount that enters a system is referred to as the sediment input and the amount that leaves is known as the sediment output. By deducting the sediment output from the sediment input we are able to determine the sediment budget.

Coastal sediment budgets are largely determined by the rates of erosion and deposition on the coast by various processes such as waves, tides, currents and winds. High energy waves pound coastlines and place headlands and cliff faces under intense hydraulic pressure having the effect of weakening rock and sediment particles causing them to become dislodged and mobilised. The waves breakout from the shore and because of their high energy the waves’ backwash remains strong enough to remove sediment particles as it retreats back into the sea. As high energy waves serve to carry away sediment particles the result is an increase in the s...