Swash excursion patterns at two contrasting beaches: Hollywood and Costa Verde beach, Colombia

The swash zone is the part of the beaches that are consecutively dry and wet due to the rise and fall of the sea by waves and tides. This zone is particularly important in beach systems, as here erosion and accretion of the coastline and coastal inundation occur; therefore, understanding of the dynamics in this zone allows the prediction and mitigation of potential impacts on beaches, dunes and coastal structures under different climate scenarios. In situ measurements of variables such as pressure, velocity and sediment concentrations on the swash were carried out for the first time at two beaches in the Colombian Caribbean: Costa Verde beach, (Cienaga) and Hollywood beach (Cartagena). The data were used to compare the velocity and sediments transport patterns in the swash zone due to the beach slope on this zone and to the influence of different wave frequencies (IG or SS). In addition, a first approximation to link small spatio-temporal scales (swash cycles) with larger spatio-temporal processes (erosion-accretion) was carried out.