Minor storms lack energy to transport large quantities of sediment but they do cause shallow shoreface reworking. During long fair-weather periods continuous introduction of small amounts of sediment by littoral drift may significantly influence the deposition rate at the shoreface. Deposition is defined both for overwash and shoreface deposition based on characteristic travel distances. The model uses multiple grain-size classes and keeps a detailed record of the simulated stratigraphy. No geometric rules are used.
Feedback mechanisms result in equilibrium shoreface profiles.
Values for storm magnitude and fair-weather duration are drawn from two independent distributions that represent local storm climate, which may change in time. Furthermore, sediment supply and sea-level change as well as initial slope and sediment composition can be varied. The simulated 2D profiles show typical characteristics of coastal evolution as progradation, aggradation, and retrogradation. Retrogradation is associated with barrier-lagoon formation and shows both continuous and discontinuous retreat. Long term sea-level change and variation in sediment supply combined with initial sediment composition and overall offshore slope determines the geometry of the coastal deposits while storm climate determines the heterogeneity of the sediments.