This book unifies and enhances the accessibility of contemporary scholarly research on advances in coastal modeling. A comprehensive spectrum of innovative models addresses the wide diversity and multifaceted aspects of coastal research on the complex natural processes, dynamics, interactions and responses of the coastal supersystem and its associated subsystems. The twenty-one chapters, contributed by internationally recognized coastal experts from fourteen countries, provide invaluable insights on the recent advances and present state-of-the-art knowledge on coastal models which are essential for not only illuminating the governing coastal process and various characteristics, but also for understanding and predicting the dynamics at work in the coastal system. One of the unique strengths of the book is the impressive and encompassing presentation of current functional and operational coastal models for all those concerned with and interested in the modeling of seas, oceans and coasts. In addition to chapters modeling the dynamic natural processes of waves, currents, circulatory flows and sediment transport there are also chapters that focus on the modeling of beaches, shorelines, tidal basins and shore platforms. The substantial scope of the book is further strengthened with chapters concentrating on the effects of coastal structures on nearshore flows, coastal water quality, coastal pollution, coastal ecological modeling, statistical data modeling, and coupling of coastal models with geographical information systems.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Acknowledgments. List of Contributors. 1. Boussinesq models and applications to nearshore wave propagation, surf zone processes and wave-induced currents (J.T. Kirby). 2. Frequency domain wave models in the nearshore and surf zones (J.M. Kaihatu). 3. Advanced numerical methods for coastal hydrodynamics (C.G. Mingham). 4. Numerical models for nearshore currents (H. Noda). 5. Spectral wave models in coastal areas (J. Monbaliu). 6. Probabilistic models of waves in the coastal zone (C.G. Soares). 7. Modeling the effects of permeable and reflective structures on waves and nearshore flows (I.J. Losada). 8. Perspective on evolution in sediment modelling (K. Black). 9. Large-scale finite element modeling and parallel computation of sediment transport in coastal areas (O.W.-H. Wai, Y.­W. Jiang, Q.­M. Lu). 10. Nonlinear wave modeling and sediment transport in the surf and swash zone theophanis (V. Karambas). 11. Modeling the morphological response in a coastal zone for different temporal scales (I.O. Leont'yev). 12. Numerical modeling of beach topography change (M. Larson, H. Hanson, N.C. Kraus). 13. Morphodynamic modeling of tidal basins and coastal inlets (M.J.F. Stive, Z.B. Wang). 14. Modeling shore platforms: present status and future developments (A.S. Trenhaile). 15. Merging scales in models of water circulation: perspectives from the Great Barrier Reef (E. Wolanski, R. Brinkman et al.). 16. A numerical simulation of Japan/East Sea (JES) thermohaline structure and circulation (P.C. Chu, S. Lu et al.). 17. Analytical modeling of pollution flushing in well-mixed tidal embayments (R.W. Barber). 18. Advances in water quality modeling in the coastal environment (M.S. Dortch). 19. Neural network applications in coastal ecological modeling (M. Scardi). 20. Space-time transfer function models of beach and shoreline data for medium­term shoreline monitoring programs (P.D. Lavalle). 21. Progress in geographical information systems and coastal modeling: an overview (D.R. Green, S.D. King). Index.