ABSTRACT
The dynamics of coastal zones with intensive sea–land interactions are complex, and their interaction mechanisms are under continuous investigation. The coastal processes and their variability are driven by the interaction of waves, currents, winds, and tides and their enormous forces that are applied on the bathymetry, causing massive changes in the coastal geomorphology by accreting or eroding the shoreline. This chapter focuses on the determination of the bathymetry and field based on the analysis of inhomogeneous radar image sequences of a dynamic and dispersive surface. The core of the method is the analysis of the wave field properties in intermediate depths and their inversion by a known wave theory. The island of Sylt is the northernmost sandy barrier island of the Frisian island chain on the German North Sea coast; it is located about 30 km off the mainland, close to the Danish border. The shape of the island is oblong due to the hydrodynamic impact.
