Project details !
The page contains a brief description of the Blinks project.
Blinks (Beach LINKs to Sandbanks) is the short title for the NERC funded project titled Impacts of Near-shore Sandbank Mobility on Beaches. NERC is the Natural Environment Research Council. The overall aim of the project is to improve our understanding of the linkages between beach condition (e.g., beach width) and the position and shape of nearshore sandbanks. Links between beaches and sandbanks have been qualitatively observed in the past, but an understanding of the response times, spatial scales and mechanisms that link the two, is lacking. Existing datasets are from studies of beaches OR sandbanks, but as yet not from both. Consequently there is not a good temporal match in the combined beach/bank records. Simultaneous measurements of sandbanks and adjacent beach condition, combined with numerical modelling are required.
Field measurements of the width, volume, shape and position of both beaches and sandbanks will be made from photographs collected by High Speed Digital Cameras (HSDCs) positioned on the roof of the CEFAS laboratory at the Pakefield Cliffs. The HSDC's are the photographic component of the Cam-era coastal monitoring system which was developed at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand. NIWA are a research partner in the Blinks project.
Cam-era data are supplemented by monthly RTK-GPS beach surveys of the entire 6-km frontage between Claremont Pier and Benacre Ness. Bathymetric surveys of Newcombe Sands are also intended. Wave/tide measurements are being made at South Beach and will be supplemented by water level data from the Port of Lowestoft tide gauge and wave data from the West Gabbard wave buoy (http://www.cefas.co.uk/wavenet/default.htm).
The purpose of this web site is to provide information about the project for interested parties. We also provide nearly live images of Newcombe Sands and South Beach, Lowestoft. Please feel free to Contact Us if you would like to comment on these pages or the condition of any of the images.
