Résumé
The field campaign on the Sète coast deployed during the winter 2009 was used to understand the hydrodynamics on a double barred beach in the surf zone during storm periods. The large set of measurements collected at several position and depth were also useful to improve the 3D circulation model Symphonie that takes into account the atmospherics and wave forcings. Once implemented on the beach and supplemented with some additional parameterizations concerning the roller effects and the bottom friction, the model was tuned and validated in the surf zone. The role of the different processes was then analysed. Thus, the roller and the bottom friction are of primary importance in the dynamics of the circulation. Thanks to its 3D nature and once associated with a sediment transport model and a morphodynamic model, Symphonie will offer a good representation of the sediment transport.