ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the applicability of computer modeling to shoreline changes, discusses the general techniques of developing such a model, and examines those published models that have particular relevance to coastal erosion problems. J. W. Harbaugh and G. Bonham-Carter give a thorough presentation on the general philosophy of simulation modeling and the various techniques employed. The simulation models of shoreline changes usually involve the following sequence of operations: define an initial shoreline configuration; and provide the model with the offshore wave conditions. The general approach to developing computer models of shoreline changes is closely analogous to the computer models of fluid flow that have been used for many years by engineers and scientists. The basis of any shoreline model is the evaluation of the quantities of sand entering and leaving each cell, and the resulting changes in the shoreline position due to the balance of input vs. exit.
