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A wave-resolving 2DV Lagrangian approach to model microplastic transport in the nearshore
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This study presents a new computer modeling approach to simulate how both floating and sinking microplastics move through wave-dominated nearshore waters, incorporating realistic turbulence, seafloor interactions, and particle settling. Accurate nearshore transport models are critical for predicting where microplastics accumulate along coastlines, how much re-enters the open ocean, and which beaches and coastal ecosystems face the greatest contamination risk.
Abstract. Potentially acting as a source or a sink for plastic pollution to the open ocean, nearshore waters remain a challenging context for predicting the transport and deposition of plastic debris. In this study, we present an advanced modelling approach based on the SWASH wave model and the TrackMPD (v3.0) particle transport model to investigate the transport dynamics of floating and sinking microplastics in wave-dominated environments. This approach introduces novel features such as coupling with advanced turbulence models, simulating resuspension and bedload processes, implementing advanced settling and rising velocity formulations, and enabling parallel computation. The wave laboratory experiments conducted by Forsberg et al. (2020) were simulated to validate the model's ability to reproduce the transport of diverse microplastics (varying in density, shape, and size) along a comprehensive beach profile, capturing the whole water column. Our results underscore the robustness of the proposed model, showing good agreement with experimental data. High-density microplastics moved onshore near the bed accumulating in proximity to the wave-breaking zone, while the distribution of low-density particles varied along the coastal profile depending on the particle properties. The study also sheds light on the primary mechanisms driving microplastic transport, such as Stokes drift, wave asymmetry and settling/rising velocities. Sensitivity analyses on calibration parameters further confirm the robustness of the model results and the influence of these factors on transport patterns. This research establishes the SWASH-TrackMPD approach as a valuable tool, opening avenues for future studies to contextualize laboratory findings within the complexities of real-world nearshore environments and further refine our comprehension of microplastic dynamics across different beaches and wave-climate conditions.
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Researchers developed a wave-resolving model to simulate how microplastics move through nearshore waters, accounting for processes like resuspension from the seabed and turbulence-driven transport. The model successfully reproduced laboratory experiments showing different behavior for floating versus sinking microplastics. This tool could help predict where microplastics accumulate along coastlines and improve understanding of how shoreline environments act as sources or sinks of plastic pollution.
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A combination of wave flume experiments and numerical modeling was used to track how microplastics move through nearshore waters under wave and wind conditions. The study found that wave-driven processes significantly affect the transport and deposition of microplastics in coastal zones, which act as both sources and sinks for ocean plastic. Improved models incorporating wave dynamics are needed to accurately predict where coastal microplastics end up.
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Scientists built a computer model that accurately predicts how ocean waves push plastic debris, from tiny microplastics to large trash, toward beaches, based on the debris's size, shape, and buoyancy. This matters because knowing where plastic accumulates on shorelines can help communities target cleanup efforts and better understand how microplastics build up in coastal areas where people swim, fish, and gather food.
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Scientists developed a new computer modeling method to better track how microplastics move and mix in ocean waves near coastlines, going beyond older models that only showed a flattened, average view of the water. This matters because knowing exactly where microplastics travel and collect on beaches and in shallow waters can help us understand where these tiny pollutants—which can end up in seafood and drinking water—are most likely to accumulate, supporting better cleanup and pollution-prevention efforts.
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This study investigated how waves and nearshore currents mix and transport microplastics in coastal zones, finding that physical oceanographic processes strongly control where microplastics accumulate along shorelines. Understanding nearshore microplastic transport is important for predicting contamination hotspots and designing effective beach cleanup strategies.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.