Laboratory study on tsunami erosion and deposition under protection of rigid emergent vegetation

Devastating tsunami waves can change the coastal morphology considerably. The effects of vegetation to coastal morphodynamics have been of primary interest for decades, because of their role in coastal protection and ecological environment. The damping of wave and impact of beach evolution are the two significant contributions on emerged vegetation. However, the laboratory study of tsunami erosion and deposition under protection of coastal vegetation was less understood compared to tsunami run-up and tsunami inundation. A set of laboratory experiments were reported in this study on changes of size-selective sandy beach profile under the protection of rigid emergent vegetation. The total of fifteen experiments was carried out in a wave flume including two initial profiles (with vegetation and none vegetation), three different wave conditions and four forest densities. The experiments show that rigid emergent vegetation changes the depth and location of tsunami deposition and erosion in sandy beach. The dimensionless numbers were derived to characterize the cross-shore beach profile response under the protection of rigid emergent vegetation. These parameters were written as a dimensionless group, and based upon this present experimental datum, the empirical equations were developed. The study reveals the internal connection among tsunami deposition and erosion, wave height and forest density. The findings of this study have the potential to assist the tsunami hazards prevention and mitigation.