The effect of tides and storms on the sediment transport across a Dutch barrier island

Under natural conditions, barrier islands might grow vertically and migrate onshore under the influence of long‐term sea level rise. Sediment is transported onshore during storm‐induced overwash and inundation. However, on many Dutch Wadden Islands, dune openings are closed off by artificial sand‐drift dikes that prevent the influx of sediment during storms. It has been argued that creating openings in the dune row to allow regular flooding on barrier islands can have a positive effect on the sediment budget, but the dominant hydrodynamic processes and their influence on sediment transport during overwash and inundation are unknown. Here, we present an XBeach model study to investigate how sediment transport during overwash and inundation across the beach of a typical mesotidal Wadden Sea barrier island is influenced by wave, tide and storm surge conditions. Firstly, we validated the model XBeach with field data on waves and currents during island inundation. In general, the XBeach model performed well. Secondly, we studied the long‐term sediment transport across the barrier island. We distinguished six representative inundation classes, ranging from frequently occurring, low‐energy events to infrequent, high‐energy events, and simulated the hydrodynamics and sediment transport during these events. An analysis of the model simulations shows that larger storm events cause larger cross‐shore sediment transport, but the net sediment exchange during a storm levels off or even becomes smaller for the largest inundation classes because it is counteracted by larger mean water levels in the Wadden Sea that oppose or even reverse sediment transport during inundation. When taking into account the frequency of occurrence of storms we conclude that the cumulative effect of relatively mild storms on long‐term cross‐shore sediment transport is much larger than that of the large storm events. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Wave energy fluxes and multidecadal shoreline changes in two coastal embayments in Denmark

Spatial patterns of multidecadal shoreline changes in two microtidal, low-energetic embayments of southern Zealand, Denmark, were investigated by using the directional distribution of wave energy fluxes. The sites include a barrier island system attached to moraine bluffs, and a recurved spit adjacent to a cliff coast. The barrier island system is characterized by cross-shore translation and by an alignment of the barrier alongshore alternating directions of barrier-spit progradation in a bidirectional wave field. The recurved spit adjacent to the cliff coast experienced shoreline rotation through proximal erosion and distal lateral accretion in a unidirectional wave climate. The multidecadal shoreline changes were coupled to a slope-based morphological coastal classification. All erosive shores occurred within a narrow range of onshore and offshore coastal slopes. The alongshore variability of directional distributions of wave energy fluxes furthermore outlined potential sediment sources and sinks for the evolution of the barrier island system and for the evolution of the recurved spit.     

The formation and closure of the Big Breach of Sacalin spit associated with extreme shoreline retreat and shoreface erosion

We document a case of exceptionally large natural breaching of a sandy spit (Sacalin spit, Danube Delta) using multiannual to seasonal surveys of topography and bathymetry on successive cross-barrier and shoreface profiles, LiDAR data, satellite imagery, and wind and wave data. The large breach, which quickly reached 3.4 km in May 2014, is attributed to morphological preconditioning of the narrow (50–150 m) barrier, which was susceptible to breaching even during moderate storm conditions. The event switched the barrier's decadal evolution from low cross-shore transport to high cross-shore transport over the barrier, which is an order of magnitude larger than during the non-breach period. Upper shoreface erosion, as indicated by the extensive erosion down to −4 m, indicates that this zone is a significant source for the rebuilding of the barrier. Barrier recovery and widening trigger a negative feedback which limits the back-barrier sediment transfer. As a result, back-barrier deposition decreases whilst the barrier aggradation through overwash becomes more frequent. The Big Breach (TBB) closed naturally in three years. The very high deposition rate of sediment in the breach is a testimony of the high sediment volumes supplied by the longshore transport and the high sediment released through shoreface retreat, and resulted in widening the barrier to a maximum of 1 km. Since the newly-formed barrier shoreline retreated 500 m, this reveals that barrier breaching is an important mechanism which significantly accelerates the landward migration of the barrier system and is a proof of the highly non-linear morphodynamics involved in the barrier island translation. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphological response of a barrier island system on a catastrophic event: the AD 1634 North Sea storm

The AD 1634 North Sea storm is one of the most catastrophic storms along the Wadden Sea coast of Denmark. In this study we show how pre‐1634 storm morphology exerted a strong control on the resulting post‐storm coastal morphology. Erosional responses associated with the storm were barrier breaching, dune scarping and shoreface erosion and accretionary responses were washover deposition, shoreface healing and barrier‐island formation. Local sediment sources appeared to have a particularly strong influence on post‐storm coastal evolution and allowed a very rapid formation of a barrier shoal which resulted in several kilometres of coastal progradation. Sediment budgets suggest that formation of the barrier shoal was possible, but the sediment transport rates in the decades after the 1634 storm, must have been two to three times higher than present‐day rates. The study demonstrates that catastrophic storms are capable of moving large amounts of sediments over relatively short time‐periods and can create barrier shoals, whereas moderate storms mostly rework the shoal or barrier and create more local erosion and/or landward migration. Catastrophic storms substantially influence long‐term and large‐scale coastal evolution, and storms may positively contribute to the sediment budget and promote coastal progradation in coastal areas with longshore sediment convergence. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a modelling methodology for simulation of long-term morphological evolution of the southern Baltic coast

The Darss–Zingst peninsula at the southern Baltic Sea is a typical wave-dominated barrier island system which includes an outer barrier island and an inner lagoon. The formation of the Darss–Zingst peninsula dates back to the Littorina Transgression onset about 8,000 cal BP. It originated from several discrete islands, has been reshaped by littoral currents, wind-induced waves during the last 8,000 years and evolved into a complex barrier island system as today; thus, it may serve as an example to study the coastal evolution under long-term climate change. A methodology for developing a long-term (decadal-to-centennial) process-based morphodynamic model for the southern Baltic coastal environment is presented here. The methodology consists of two main components: (1) a preliminary analysis of the key processes driving the morphological evolution of the study area based on statistical analysis of meteorological data and sensitivity studies; (2) a multi-scale high-resolution process-based model. The process-based model is structured into eight main modules. The two-dimensional vertically integrated circulation module, the wave module, the bottom boundary layer module, the sediment transport module, the cliff erosion module and the nearshore storm module are real-time calculation modules which aim at solving the short-term processes. A bathymetry update module and a long-term control function set, in which the ‘reduction’ concepts and technique for morphological update acceleration are implemented, are integrated to up-scale the effects of short-term processes to a decadal-to-centennial scale. A series of multi-scale modelling strategies are implemented in the application of the model to the research area. Successful hindcast of the coastline change of the Darss–Zingst peninsula for the last 300 years validates the modelling methodology. Model results indicate that the coastline change of the Darss–Zingst peninsula is dominated by mechanisms acting on different time scales. The coastlines of Darss and the island of Hiddensee are mainly reshaped by long-term effects of waves and longshore currents, while the coastline change of the Zingst peninsula is due to a combination of long-term effects of waves and short-term effects caused by wind storms.     

Cyclic channel-shoal dynamics at the Ameland inlet: the impact on waves,tides, and sediment transport

Ocean Dynamics - Ebb-tidal deltas are shallow features seaward of tidal inlets, acting as a wave filter for the nearby barrier island and a source of sediment for the landward tidal basin. On many...     

The morphodynamic responses to deposition-promoting projects in island and reef coasts of the Zhoushan Archipelago,China

China's island and reef coasts are mainly distributed along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. These areas have favorable deep-water conditions and great development potential. The Zhoushan Archipelago is a typical island and reef coast. In the midst of the islands, there are many tidal channels with high water depth and high current velocity. Daishan Island is located on the northern part of the Zhoushan Archipelago. The sea north of Daishan Island can be characterized as having great water depth (generally between 10 and 20 m), high current velocity (the maximum measured value is about 2 m/s), and hyperconcentrated suspended sediment (annual average concentration under normal weather conditions is about 0.6 kg/m3). Sediment transport is influenced by the co-action of waves and currents. Land reclamation can ease the contradiction between the desire for development and the land resource shortage on island and reef coasts. Land reclamation generally starts from deposition-promoting projects on island and reef coasts with hyperconcentration of suspended sediment with the aim of reducing the reclamation cost. Based on the morphodynamic characteristics of the sea area near north of Daishan Island, a two-dimensional mathematical model was developed to analyze the co-action of current and waves and the model was verified for spring as well as neap tides in 2007 and 2012. The simulated values of tidal stages, tidal current velocities, tidal current directions, and suspended sediment concentration at 15 stations in 2007 and 9 stations in 2012 were in good agreement with the in-situ measured values. Furthermore, the simulated magnitude and pattern of erosion and sedimentation agreed well with the observations. This model was used to evaluate the effects of a proposed siltation scheme on the hydrodynamic environment and morphological change of the study area. The results of this study can inform the protection, development, and utilization of shoal-channels on island and reef coasts, as well provide a scientific basis for comprehensive maritime protection and development.     

The influence of groundwater depth on coastal dune development at sand flats close to inlets

A cellular automata model is used to analyze the effects of groundwater levels and sediment supply on aeolian dune development occurring on sand flats close to inlets. The model considers, in a schematized and probabilistic way, aeolian transport processes, groundwater influence, vegetation development, and combined effects of waves and tides that can both erode and accrete the sand flat. Next to three idealized cases, a sand flat adjoining the barrier island of Texel, the Netherlands, was chosen as a case study. Elevation data from 18 annual LIDAR surveys was used to characterize sand flat and dune development. Additionally, a field survey was carried out to map the spatial variation in capillary fringe depth across the sand flat. Results show that for high groundwater situations, sediment supply became limited inducing formation of Coppice-like dunes, even though aeolian losses were regularly replenished by marine import during sand flat flooding. Long dune rows developed for high sediment supply scenarios which occurred for deep groundwater levels. Furthermore, a threshold depth appears to exist at which the groundwater level starts to affect dune development on the inlet sand flat. The threshold can vary spatially depending on external conditions such as topography. On sand flats close to inlets, groundwater is capable of introducing spatial variability in dune growth, which is consistent with dune development patterns found on the Texel sand flat.     

Riparian vegetation and island formation along the gravel‐bed Fiume Tagliamento,Italy

After more than 300 years of river management, scientific knowledge of European river systems has evolved with limited empirical knowledge of truly natural systems. In particular, little is known of the mechanisms supporting the evolution and maintenance of islands and secondary channels. The dynamic, gravel‐bed Fiume Tagliamento, Italy, provides an opportunity to acquire baseline data from a river where the level of direct engineering intervention along the main stem is remarkably small. Against a background of a strong alpine to mediterranean climatic and hydrological gradient, this paper explores relationships between topography, sediment and vegetation at eight sites along the active zone of the Tagliamento. A conceptual model of island development is proposed which integrates the interactions between large woody debris and vegetation, geomorphic features, sediment calibre and hydrological regime. Islands may develop on bare gravel sites or be dissected from the floodplain by channel avulsion. Depositional and erosional processes result in different island types and developmental stages. Differences in the apparent trajectories of island development are identified for each of the eight study sites along the river. The management implications of the model and associated observations of the role of riparian vegetation in island development are considered. In particular, the potential impacts of woody debris removal, riparian tree management, regulation of river flow and sediment regimes, and changes in riparian tree species' distribution are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of sediment detention basins: Scaled model experiments and application

Sediment detention basins are implemented on mountain rivers to trap solid material that may aggravate the flooding of downstream settlements.However,retention structures built in the past may unnecessarily retain sediment during non-hazardous flood events,resulting in high maintenance costs and sediment deficit downstream.In addition,the so-called spontaneous self-flushing of previously retained sediment during floods has occasionally been observed.Recent research suggests to design sediment detention basins for controlling sediment passage with a guiding channel across the deposition area upstream of a hybrid barrier.Such barriers consist of a check dam with a slot orifice and an upstream bar screen with a bottom clearance in order to benefit from a combined mechanical-hydraulic retention control.The present paper enhances this pioneering research with the help of new experimental data,including a wide range of sediment mixtures and large wood,as well as variable barrier heights.Improved design criteria are provided regarding the bar screen and the basin storage capacity.The functionality of the enhanced concept for sediment detention is illustrated by a case study on a physical model:the protection of the Villard-Bonnot village(France)against torrential hazards.     

Evolution of Heterogeneous Mixed Siliciclastic/Carbonate Aquifers Containing Metastable Sediments

Mixed carbonate and siliciclastic marine sediments commonly become freshwater aquifers in eastern coastal regions of the United States and many other global locations. As these deposits age, the carbonate fraction of the sediment is commonly removed by dissolution and the aquifer can become a solely siliciclastic system or contain zones or beds of pure quartz sand. During aquifer evolution, the sediment grain size characteristics, hydraulic conductivity, and porosity change. An investigation of these changes using mixed carbonate/siliciclastic sediment samples collected from a modern barrier island beach in southern Florida showed that the average mean grain diameter decreased with removal of the carbonate fraction, but the average hydraulic conductivity and porosity increased slightly, but not to statistical significance. This counterintuitive result occurs because of the change in the pore types from a combined shelter and intergranular pore system producing a dual porosity system in the mixed sediments to a single intergranular pore system in the siliciclastic sediment fraction. Within the mixed carbonate/siliciclastic sediment, in the pure carbonate fraction, large shell fractions form grain‐supported large pores, which become filled with sand‐sized quartz as the shell fragments decrease in size or as the sediment becomes compacted. The hydraulic conductivity increases because the shell fragments that were oriented perpendicular to flow caused an increase in the length of the flow path, or a larger scale tortuosity, compared with the flow through pure quartz sand.     

Long‐term morphological impacts of the opening of a new inlet on a multiple inlet system

In this study, the artificial opening of a new tidal inlet in an existing multiple inlet system is shown to significantly modify the adjacent nearshore and backbarrier morphology, as well as both updrift and downdrift shorelines. The study focuses on the dominant Faro‐Olhão and Armona inlets in the Ria Formosa barrier island system of southern Portugal. The equilibrium state and future evolution of the system are inferred using a range of morphological and hydrodynamic indicators, including the evolution of the inlet cross‐section, changes in tidal prism, and changes in the dimensions (length and area) of barrier islands. The results reveal how the morphology of an interconnected two‐inlet bay system and the adjacent coastlines has evolved following the artificial opening and stabilization of Faro‐Olhão inlet since 1929. A clear relationship between barrier island size, inlet cross‐section/width, and tidal prism is demonstrated. Decadal time‐scale changes in the tidal prism of the two interconnected inlets are shown to be the main mechanism responsible for morphological change, and have resulted in the remobilization of ebb‐tidal delta sediments deposited during previous hydraulic configurations. These changes, in turn, have contributed to a narrowing of Armona inlet and an increase in the size of Culatra Island. The work highlights the importance of ebb‐tidal deltas both as sand reservoirs and as conduits through which sand exchange between estuaries or lagoons and the open coast is regulated. It also shows the pivotal role of ebb‐tidal deltas in trapping longshore‐transported sediment and releasing it again during periods of increased wave activity. The findings have implications regarding the accurate assessment of the stability of multiple inlet systems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reef to island sediment connections on a Maldivian carbonate platform: using benthic ecology and biosedimentary depositional facies to examine island‐building potential

Reef islands are low‐lying accumulations of unconsolidated sediment formed from the skeletal remains of carbonate‐producing reef organisms and are therefore perceived as highly vulnerable to environmental change. However, basic elements of island composition are not well described and given their high inter‐ and intra‐basinal variability a better understanding of reef and island sedimentary environments (and the connections between them) are needed to predict future morphological response. Here, we use detailed ecological and sedimentological datasets to delineate key sediment production zones and biosedimentary depositional facies across the surface of Vabbinfaru platform, Maldives. Field measurements of platform hydrodynamics are applied to sedimentary deposits to determine the potential mobility of grains and identify transport pathways. Carbonate production was dominated by coral framework (mean: 52%) within a narrow zone on the outer reef rim (22% of platform area) resulting in coral‐rich detrital sediments (reef: 51%, island: 64%) that closely resemble living assemblages. The net transfer of sediment occurred lagoonward by wave‐driven processes leading to a decrease in grain size towards the island (R² = 0.502) which acts as a major control on depositional facies development within the lagoon. Island sediments were distinct from reefal deposits, comprising a restricted suite of durable sands (mean: 1.34?) throughout long‐term development. Our findings suggest that the production, breakdown and redistribution of coral‐derived sediment by platform currents is fundamental to future island stability at Vabbinfaru, and although alterations away from current ecological states may reduce sediment supply, the timescales over which island morphological response will occur depends upon phase lags between initial coral mortality and the conversion of this material into island‐grade sand. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back-barrier in signaling island state change

Long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes at Padre Island, Texas are identified and linked with potential external drivers. Aerial and satellite images from 1950 to 2018, monthly images from 2019 to 2020, and a 2018 LiDAR data set are used to assess long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes within a 50 km² area of Padre Island near Port Mansfield, Texas. Trends in landcover are evaluated by mapping and comparing the relative areal coverage of each facies. Vegetated dunes, absent initially, emerged in the fore-island and expanded into the back-barrier to cover 14% of the study area. The active vegetation-free back-barrier dune field steadily decreased in areal extent from 12% to 6% as vegetation spread. Nebkha dune coverage fluctuated between 4% and 7%. Expansive microbial mats colonized the wind tidal and deflation flats surrounding the vegetated dunes and back-barrier dune field giving rise to a remarkably different landscape over the 50-year period studied. An assessment of external forcing factors identifies increased rates of relative sea level rise and decreased sediment influx as the most likely primary factors driving the geomorphological changes. These changes have induced a widespread shift toward stabilization of island sediments by vegetation and microbial mats, which in turn has starved the back-barrier of sediments resulting in low rates of accretion and increased flooding. These findings highlight the sensitivity of the back-barrier and, in particular, the dune facies to changes in sea level and sediment supply, and show that microbial mats are effective at stabilizing island sediments and may be harbingers to barrier island response to rising sea level. As shown in this study, long-term monitoring of geomorphic facies changes and topography can detect important shifts in the island state that can be used to inform decision making for these sensitive coastal landscapes.     

Systematic monthly morphologic variation of assawoman inlet: Nature and causes

Assawoman Inlet, Virginia, U.S.A., representative of small mesotidal barrier island tidal inlets exhibits systematic variations of sediment volume among certain of its morphologic elements. Sediment volume variations were calculated from topographic-bathymetric maps of the inlet system, as surveyed on 11 occasions at approximately monthly intervals by a fathometer, and plane table and alidade. Of 36 pairings among nine morphologic elements, seven show statistically significant Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients. The southern ramp margin shoals are negatively correlated with the southern beach face and the northern ramp margin shoals are negatively correlated with the northern beach face on the northern spit. The southern and northern ramp margin shoals themselves are negatively correlated. The southern ramp margin shoals are negatively correlated with the fore flood tidal delta which is negatively correlated with a tidal channel on its landward side. The back flood tidal delta is positively correlated with the northern ramp margin shoals and negatively correlated with the back side of Wallops spit. These associations may be qualitatively explained using wave and tidal climate data during the sampling year plus megaripple and bedding orientations. Constructive waves tend to transfer sediment from the ramp margin shoals landward, building up the adjacent beach faces. Destructive waves tend to move sediment back to the ramp margin shoals. Waves striking the coast obliquely promote asymmetric growth of the shoals, causing the ebb jet to erode into whichever is the smaller shoal.     

The relation between ore-deposit formation and subduction: Mass balance considerations

Abstract Mass balance calculations indicate that the potential supply of metals resulting from subduction of oceanic crust and sediment far exceeds that required for mineralization in island ares. Subduction of oceanic crust is more important than that of sediment in supplying these metals and the subduction of manganese nodules makes only a negligible contribution. The nature and extent of mineralization in island ares therefore depend on the nature, geometry and rate of subduction. In the Pacific, two types of subduction system occur: the high-stress (Chilean) type, characterized by shallow subduction and the formation of porphyry copper deposits in andesitic ares, and the low-stress (Mariana) type, characterized by deep subduction and the formation of Kuroko deposits in the back-arc basin, and porphyry copper and epithermal gold deposits in the island are. Kuroko deposits are analogous to the epithermal deposits but are formed from saline hydrothermal fluids under much higher hydrostatic pressure.     

Linking uplift,erosion, and sedimentation using landscape evolution models: Madagascar since the Late Cretaceous

We present a study to estimate the large-scale landscape history of a continental margin, by establishing a source-to-sink volume balance between the eroding onshore areas and the offshore basins. Assuming erosion as the primary process for sediment production, we strive to constrain a numerical model of landscape evolution that balances the volumes of eroded materials from the continent and that deposited in the corresponding basins, with a ratio imposed for loss of erosion products. We use this approach to investigate the landscape history of Madagascar since the Late Cretaceous. The uplift history prescribed in the model is inferred from elevations of planation surfaces formed at various ages. By fitting the volumes of terrigenous sediments in the Morondava Basin along the west coast and the current elevation of the island, the landscape evolution model is optimized by constraining the erosion law parameters and ratios of sediment loss. The results include a best-fit landscape evolution model, which features two major periods of uplift and erosion during the Late Cretaceous and the middle to late Cenozoic. The model supports suggestions from previous studies that most of the high topography of the island was constructed since the middle to late Miocene, and on the central plateau the erosion has not reached an equilibrium with the high uplift rates in the late Cenozoic. Our models also indicate that over the geological time scale a significant portion of materials eroded from Madagascar was not archived in the offshore basin, possibly consumed by chemical weathering, the intensity of which might have varied with climate.     

A simple numerical model for inlet sedimentation at intermittently open–closed coastal lagoons

This contribution aims to model the dominant processes that control sedimentation within the ocean inlet to intermittently open–closed coastal lagoons; focussing on the role of infilling, backfilling and morphodynamic feedback. The key elements that have been included in the present model are: (1) the delivery of sediment to the mouth of the estuary by littoral processes; (2) sediment transport processes within the inlet due to non-linear tidal flow; and (3) the down-slope diffusion of sediment. The model discussed here includes a simple one-dimensional (1-D), non-linear flow parameterisation that predicts the spatial variability in the magnitude and non-linearity of the tidal flow. The predicted third and fourth velocity moments are used to drive a morphodynamic module. Down-slope diffusion of sediment is dealt with in a separate diffusion term in the bed-evolution equation. Feedback between the evolving morphology and the flow field are integral to the model. Numerical simulations are used to investigate different modes of evolution for this type of inlet system. Inlet closure due to infilling is critically controlled by the balance between sediment addition at the mouth due to littoral processes and the removal of sediment by non-linear tidal flow. Rapid widening or deepening of the inlet at its landward margin leads to the deposition of a flood shoal. Under conditions of high sedimentation (and low diffusion) the flood shoal can become sufficiently well developed to present a physical barrier to sediment entering the lagoon. Under these circumstances backfilling can become significant. The infilling and backfilling processes are ameliorated by efficient down-slope diffusion which is controlled in the present model by a diffusion parameter, D. High diffusion coefficients slow inlet closure and allow sediment to propagate further into the lagoon.     

Overwash occurrence consequent on morphodynamic changes following lagoon outlet closure on a coarse clastic barrier

The reduction in sediment volume of an ebb-tide delta, as a consequence of lagoon outlet closure on a coarse clastic barrier in southeast Ireland, initiated a sequence of beachface and barrier changes downdrift. Elimination of sediment supply to the ebb-delta caused a cessation of downdrift longshore swash bar welding, and led to beach volume reductions which in turn allowed a temporal sequence of beach and nearshore morphodynamic domains to develop. These domains then controlled the sedimentation regime of the barrier adjacent to the old outlet. A temporal sequence of (a) dissipative barrier; (b) reflective barrier; and (c) inner reflective (barrier face)/outer dissipative (subtidal) wave regimes match respectively periods of (a) barrier crest build up by crestal dune development; (b) barrier crest instability (barrier width increasing, barrier height decreasing) due to rhythmic overwash; and (c) a return to barrier crest stability with limited aeolian accretion. Two barriers at different stages in this sequence are discussed.     

Modelling the biogeochemistry of a tidal flat ecosystem with EcoTiM

The ecological tidal model simulates the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, and silicate and describes the tidal, diurnal, and annual dynamics of the back barrier area of the island Spiekeroog in the German Bight. The region is characterized by strong tidal currents and extensive tidal flats. It is strongly influenced by the conditions in the southern part of the German Bight. This model study investigates the dependence of the model behavior on the boundary conditions and the forcing. The effect of short- and long-term sea level rise on nutrient and plankton dynamics is analyzed. As the model is set up as semi-Lagrangian with only a coarse approximation of the hydrodynamics, the seasonal and intratidal variability in the biogeochemical cycling can only be reproduced qualitatively. By varying the boundary conditions, the intrinsic dynamics of the back barrier area can be separated from boundary condition effects. This study shows that any agreement between model results and field data cannot be expected without correct boundary conditions. The seasonal variability is of major importance, while higher-frequency variability only plays a minor role.