MIGRATION AND BURIAL TENDENCIES OF VARIABLE DENSITY MUNITIONS: INITIAL RESULTS FROM A LARGE-SCALE STUDY

Abstract

Past military activity close to the coast has discarded numerous ordnances in the nearshore environment. These ordinances (some of them unexploded; also called UXOs or munitions) are transported by waves and currents and may become exposed on beaches. The increased intensity of storm events may lead to a subsequent increase in UXO exposure and migration. Prolonged exposure of UXOs to ocean conditions leads to surface growth that alters their bulk density. Hence, it is essential to understand the influence of bulk density on mobility characteristics. This study, funded by the Strategic Environment Research and Development Program (SERDP), aims to quantify the processes that affect the mobility and burial of variable density munitions in the surf and swash zones during scaled extreme forcing.