CLASSIFICATION OF BARRED AND UNBARRED BEACH PROFILES IN THE CASPIAN SEA

Nearshore bars are ubiquitous morphological features along many of the world s beaches. They are the main expression of hydrodynamic and sediment transport gradients, with bars developing as a result of sediment convergence and troughs forming in areas of sediment divergence. Nearshore bars are the most dynamic morphological element of the surf zone and hence they are a major topic of coastal research. The separation between barred and non-barred profiles is generally related to the direction of crossshore sediment transport. Offshore sediment transport results in erosion of the beach and the formation of barred profiles, whereas onshore sediment transport causes beach accretion and non-barred profiles (Figure1).