Modeling the morphodynamic response of tidal embayments to sea-level rise

Sea-level rise has a strong influence on tidal systems, and a major focus of climate change effect studies is to predict the future state of these environmental systems. Here, we used a model to simulate the morphological evolution of tidal embayments and to explore their response to a rising sea level. The model was first used to reproduce the formation of channels and intertidal flats under a stable mean water level in an idealised and initially unchannelled tidal basin. A gradual rise in sea level was imposed once a well-developed channel network had formed. Simulations were conducted with different sea-level rise rates and tidal ranges. Sea-level rise forced headward erosion of the tidal channels, driving a landward expansion of the channel network and channel development in the previously non-inundated part of the basin. Simultaneously, an increase in channel drainage width in the lower part of the basin occurred and a decrease in the overall fraction of the basin occupied by channels could be observed. Sea-level rise thus altered important characteristics of the tidal channel network. Some intertidal areas were maintained despite a rising sea level. However, the size, shape, and location of the intertidal areas changed. In addition, sea-level rise affected the exchange of sediment between the different morphological elements. A shift from exporting to importing sediment as well as a reinforcement of the existing sediment export was observed for the simulations performed here. Sediment erosion in the inlet and the offshore transport of sediment was enhanced, resulting in the expansion of the ebb-tidal delta. Our model results further emphasise that tidal embayments can exhibit contrasting responses to sea-level rise.

     

Modeling the morphodynamic response of tidal embayments to sea-level rise

Sea-level rise has a strong influence on tidal systems, and a major focus of climate change effect studies is to predict the future state of these environmental systems. Here, we used a model to simulate the morphological evolution of tidal embayments and to explore their response to a rising sea level. The model was first used to reproduce the formation of channels and intertidal flats under a stable mean water level in an idealised and initially unchannelled tidal basin. A gradual rise in sea level was imposed once a well-developed channel network had formed. Simulations were conducted with different sea-level rise rates and tidal ranges. Sea-level rise forced headward erosion of the tidal channels, driving a landward expansion of the channel network and channel development in the previously non-inundated part of the basin. Simultaneously, an increase in channel drainage width in the lower part of the basin occurred and a decrease in the overall fraction of the basin occupied by channels could be observed. Sea-level rise thus altered important characteristics of the tidal channel network. Some intertidal areas were maintained despite a rising sea level. However, the size, shape, and location of the intertidal areas changed. In addition, sea-level rise affected the exchange of sediment between the different morphological elements. A shift from exporting to importing sediment as well as a reinforcement of the existing sediment export was observed for the simulations performed here. Sediment erosion in the inlet and the offshore transport of sediment was enhanced, resulting in the expansion of the ebb-tidal delta. Our model results further emphasise that tidal embayments can exhibit contrasting responses to sea-level rise.     

Influence of varying tidal prism on hydrodynamics and sedimentary processes in a hypertidal salt marsh creek

Recent initiatives directing tidal power development in the Bay of Fundy have raised questions about far‐field environmental impacts related to energy extraction. It is understood that commercial scale tidal power installations in the Minas Passage will result in an overall decrease in tidal amplitude in the Minas Basin. Corresponding changes in sedimentation patterns may or may not be within the natural range of variability, and it is hypothesized that intertidal sedimentation rates will demonstrate a non‐linear response to modification of the tidal energy regime. This research considers acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and optical backscatter sensor (OBS) data from a sheltered tidal creek in the Minas Basin, for analysis of tidal characteristics in a hypertidal creek environment over spring and neap tidal cycles. Sediment deposition in the creek was also measured. Results show a first‐order control of topography on flow magnitude in the tidal creek, which impacts net sediment deposition through resuspension and removal of newly introduced material. This study demonstrates that tides which peak around the bankfull level show reduced early ebb stage turbulence and flow velocity and encourage an extended depositional period. The dynamics of marshfull tides may be responsible for the maximum sediment deposition in tidal creeks, providing large amounts of material that is eventually distributed to and deposited on marsh surfaces. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphology and dynamics of the intertidal floodplain along the Amazon tidal river

Depositional environments along the tidal river downstream of Óbidos have been proposed as important sinks for up to one third of the sediment discharge from the Amazon River. However, the morphology of the intertidal floodplain and the dynamics of sediment exchange along this reach have yet to be described. River-bank surveys in five regions along the Amazon tidal river reveal a distinct transition in bank morphology between the upper, central and lower reaches of the tidal river. The upper tidal-river floodplain is defined by prominent natural levees that control the transfer of water and sediment between the mainstem Amazon River and its floodplain. Greater tidal influence in the central tidal river suppresses levee development, and tidal currents increase sediment transport into the distal parts of the floodplain. In the lower tidal river, the floodplain morphology closely resembles marine intertidal environments (e.g. mud flats, salt marshes), with dendritic tidal channels incising elevated vegetated flats. Theory, morphology and geochronology suggest that the dynamics of sediment delivery to the intertidal floodplain of the Amazon tidal river vary along its length due to the relative influence and coupling of fluvial and tidal dynamics. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tide circulation patterns in a coastal lagoon under sea-level rise

This study evaluates the patterns and effects of relative sea-level rise on the tidal circulation of the basin of the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon using a process-based model that is solved on an unstructured mesh. To predict the changes in the lagoon tidal circulation in the year 2100, the model is forced by tides and a static sea level. The bathymetry and the basin geometry are updated in response to sea-level rise for three morphological response scenarios: no bed updating, barrier island rollover, and basin infilling. Model results indicate that sea-level rise (SLR) will change the baseline current velocity patterns inside the lagoon over the ~100-year study period, due to a strong reduction in the area of the intertidal basin. The basin infilling scenario is associated with the most important adjustments of the tidal circulation (i.e., increases in the flood velocities and delays in the ebb tide), together with an increase in the cumulative discharges of the tidal inlets. Under sea-level rise and in the basin infilling scenario, the salt marshes and tidal flats experience increases in the tidal range and current asymmetry. Basin infilling changes the sediment flushing capacity of the lagoon, leading to the attenuation of the flood dominance in the main inlet and the strengthening of the flood dominance in the two secondary inlets. The predictions resulting from these scenarios provide very useful information on the long-term evolution of similar coastal lagoons that experience varying degrees of SLR. This study highlights the need for research focusing on the quantification of the physical and socio-economic impacts of SLR on lagoon systems, thus enabling the development of effective adaptation strategies.     

Optical dating of young tidal sediments in the Danish Wadden Sea

We have tested the applicability of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to the dating of young estuarine sediments (<1000 years) to determine whether this method can be used to complement and support existing techniques, such as ²¹⁰Pb dating. The degree of bleaching before deposition is investigated by examining the age trend in various sediment cores, and where possible, by comparison with independent age control provided by ²¹⁰Pb dating. The consistency between optical ages and ²¹⁰Pb ages is shown to be satisfactory on a time-scale down to only a few years.

We conclude that OSL provides reliable and reproducible results in cores from sub-, inter- and supra-tidal sediments, ranging from only a few years up to 1000 years old, confirming its value in the estimation of estuarine accretion rates. With OSL it is, for the first time, possible to date sediment cores from silty and sandy tidal flats, providing a new approach to the problem of evaluation of stability and calculation of sediment budgets for estuaries and coastal lagoons.     

Decadal evolution of tidal flats and channels in the Outer Weser estuary,Germany

This study focuses on the medium scale morphodynamics of the tidal flat and channel system Fedderwarder Priel, located in the Outer Weser estuary (Wadden Sea, Germany). Tidal channels and adjacent flats are highly dynamic systems whose morphologic evolution are driven by tidal, wind, and wave forcings. These coastal environments are an important ecosystem and react to changes in hydrodynamic conditions in various spatial and temporal scales. Based on annual medium-resolution digital elevation models from 1998 to 2016, we describe changes in the surface area over depth with hypsometries and use vertical dynamic trends in order to analyze and visualize the morphologic evolution of the Fedderwarder Priel and adjacent tidal channels. It is shown that several intertidal flats rise in the order of 1.3 to 5.6 cm/year. The findings indicate that the Outer Weser estuary was not in an equilibrium state for the investigated period, and tidal flats accreted with a rate exceeding mean sea level rise.     

The links between entrance geometry,hypsometry and hydrodynamics in shallow tidally dominated basins

Geomorphological characteristics of tidal basins control hydrodynamics and sediment transport potential within such basins, for example, by adjusting the balance in tidal asymmetry. In this study we examine the effects of entrance geometry on tidal velocity asymmetry, slack water asymmetry, bed shear stress patterns and hypsometric profile shapes by comparison of six shallow meso-tidal basins of Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. Numerical model results show how tidal distortion increases with distance from a basin entrance. A simple ratio between basin width and entrance width defines levels of basin dilation. Sub-basins with a constricted geometry and deep entrance channels are associated with small bed shear stress values and high rates of flood-directed tidal velocity asymmetry in the sheltered basin centres, indicating a large potential for sediment deposition of larger particles. Moreover, slack water asymmetry within these basins is weakly ebb-directed, indicating a small potential for transport of fine sediments out of the basins. The constricted depositional basins are characterized by convex hypsometric profiles with elevated intertidal regions. Unconstricted geometries are associated with larger bed shear stress values and more ebb-directed tidal velocity asymmetry within basin centres, suggesting limited potential for overall sediment deposition. The slack tide duration asymmetry is weakly flood-dominant indicating that limited input of fine sediment into the basins is possible. The comparatively high-energy conditions within these exposed basins are associated with a less convex hypsometric intertidal profile. The ability to estimate tidal asymmetries is advantageous when developing management strategies related to ecosystem functioning, navigability or coastal protection in specific geomorphic settings. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reconstruction of floodplain sedimentation rates: a combination of methods to optimize estimates

Reconstruction of overbank sedimentation rates over the past decades gives insight into floodplain dynamics, and thereby provides a basis for efficient and sustainable floodplain management. We compared the results of four independent reconstruction methods – optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, caesium‐137 (¹³⁷Cs) dating, heavy metal analysis, and flood bed interpretation – applied at three embanked floodplain sites along lower Rhine River distributaries in the Netherlands. All methods indicate significant sedimentation rates on the floodplains, varying between 2–7 mm/a in the distal zones and 3–9 mm/a in the proximal zones. On a rapidly developing sand bar along a natural levee sedimentation rates of 9 to 25 mm/a were found. Except for some minor inconsistencies in ¹³⁷Cs dating results, all methods show decreasing sedimentation rates with increasing distance from the river channel. Intercomparison of the results of the different dating methods revealed the potential errors associated with each method, particularly where disagreement among the results were found. Uncertainties may arise due to (1) grain‐size dependent downward migration of ¹³⁷Cs, (2) smoothing of the vertical heavy metal and ¹³⁷Cs profiles, (3) delayed sediment‐associated input of ¹³⁷Cs in addition to direct atmospheric fall‐out, (4) overestimation of the burial age in OSL dating due to incomplete resetting of the OSL signal, or (5) non‐linear relationships between sediment deposition and flood magnitude in the count‐from‐the‐top correlation between sediment lamination and past observed flood records. Still, taking the uncertainties associated with each method into account, the results are generally in good agreement. Using the results we indicate the optimal spatial range of application of each method, depending on sediment texture and sedimentation rate. The optimal spatial and temporal ranges differ for each method, but show significant overlap. A combination of the methods will thus provide maximum information for accurate estimation of sedimentation rates on a decadal time scale. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bio‐geomorphic effects on tidal channel evolution: impact of vegetation establishment and tidal prism change

The long‐term (10–100 years) evolution of tidal channels is generally considered to interact with the bio‐geomorphic evolution of the surrounding intertidal platform. Here we studied how the geometric properties of tidal channels (channel drainage density and channel width) change as (1) vegetation establishes on an initially bare intertidal platform and (2) sediment accretion on the intertidal platform leads to a reduction in the tidal prism (i.e. water volume that during a tidal cycle floods to and drains back from the intertidal platform). Based on a time series of aerial photographs and digital elevation models, we derived the channel geometric properties at different time steps during the evolution from an initially low‐elevated bare tidal flat towards a high‐elevated vegetated marsh. We found that vegetation establishment causes a marked increase in channel drainage density. This is explained as the friction exerted by patches of pioneer vegetation concentrates the flow in between the vegetation patches and promotes there the erosion of channels. Once vegetation has established, continued sediment accretion and tidal prism reduction do not result in significant further changes in channel drainage density and in channel widths. We hypothesize that this is explained by a partitioning of the tidal flow between concentrated channel flow, as long as the vegetation is not submerged, and more homogeneous sheet flow as the vegetation is deeply submerged. Hence, a reduction of the tidal prism due to sediment accretion on the intertidal platform, reduces especially the volume of sheet flow (which does not affect channel geometry), while the concentrated channel flow (i.e. the landscape forming volume of water) is not much affected by the tidal prism reduction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rapid tidal marsh development in anthropogenic backwaters

Tidal marsh restoration and creation is growing in popularity due to the many and diverse sets of services these important ecosystems provide. However, it is unclear what conditions within constructed settings will lead to the successful establishment of tidal marsh. Here we provide documentation for widespread and rapid development of tidal freshwater wetlands for a major urban estuary as an unintended result of early industrial development. Anthropogenic backwater areas established behind railroad berms, jetties, and dredge spoil islands resulted in the rapid accumulation of clastic material and the subsequent initiation of emergent marshes. In one case, historical aerial photos document this transition occurring in less than 18 years, offering a timeframe for marsh development. Accretion rates for anthropogenic tidal marshes and mudflats average 0.8–1.1 and 0.6–0.7 cm year⁻¹, respectively, equivalent to two to three times the rate of relative sea level rise as well as the observed accretion rate at a 6000+ year-old reference marsh in the study area. Paired historical and geospatial analysis revealed that more than half of all the tidal wetlands on the Hudson River were likely triggered by anthropogenic development since the onset of the industrial era, including two-thirds of the emergent cattail marsh. These inadvertently constructed tidal wetlands currently trap roughly 6% of the Hudson River's sediment load. Results indicate that when sediment is readily available, freshwater tidal wetlands can develop relatively rapidly in sheltered settings. The study sites serve as useful examples to help guide future tidal marsh creation and restoration efforts.     

Contemporary sedimentation rates and depositional structures in a montane lake basin,southern Coast Mountains,British Columbia,Canada

Spatial variability of recent lacustrine sedimentary structures and sedimentation rates are examined for Green Lake, a morphologically complex lake basin of the southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. A dense, 100 m grid sampling scheme was used for sediment coring within the 2 km² lake basin. Deltaic, massive, weakly laminated, and varved sediment sequences are identified within the sediment record. Spatial patterns among these sedimentary deposits are related to within‐lake sediment transfer processes, morphometric controls, and the extent of post‐depositional mixing by bioturbation. Unconformities, turbidites, and cohesive slump failure deposits, observed within the contemporary varve sequences, could all be correlated with major flooding events in the catchment area and direct anthropogenic disturbances along the shoreline. There is an overall, non‐linear decrease in sedimentation rates with increasing distance from the lake inflows; however, this pattern is disrupted in deep water sites of intervening lake sub‐basins where locally higher accumulation rates are observed. Spatial sedimentation patterns are quantitatively described by an empirically‐derived model. Systematic variations in the model parameters are observed for different lake sub‐regions and are associated with changing sediment transfer dynamics between proximal and distal sub‐basin settings. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of geometry and tidal forcing on hydrodynamics and net sediment transport in semi-enclosed tidal basins

A new depth-averaged exploratory model has been developed to investigate the hydrodynamics and the tidally averaged sediment transport in a semi-enclosed tidal basin. This model comprises the two-dimensional (2DH) dynamics in a tidal basin that consists of a channel of arbitrary length, flanked by tidal flats, in which the water motion is being driven by an asymmetric tidal forcing at the seaward side. The equations are discretized in space by means of the finite element method and solved in the frequency domain. In this study, the lateral variations of the tidal asymmetry and the tidally averaged sediment transport are analyzed, as well as their sensitivity to changes in basin geometry and external overtides. The Coriolis force is taken into account. It is found that the length of the tidal basin and, to a lesser extent, the tidal flat area and the convergence length determine the behaviour of the tidally averaged velocity and the overtides and consequently control the strength and the direction of the tidally averaged sediment transport. Furthermore, the externally prescribed overtides can have a major influence on tidal asymmetry in the basin, depending on their amplitude and phase. Finally, for sufficiently wide tidal basins, the Coriolis force generates significant lateral dynamics.     

Watershed and ocean controls of salt marsh extent and resilience

The formation and evolution of tidal platforms are controlled by the feedbacks between hydrodynamics, geomorphology, vegetation, and sediment transport. Previous work mainly addresses dynamics at the scale of individual marsh platforms. Here, we develop a process-based model to investigate salt marsh depositional/erosional dynamics and resilience to environmental change at the scale of tidal basins. We evaluate how inputs of water and sediment from river and ocean sources interact, how losses of sediment to the ocean depend on this interaction, and how erosional/depositional dynamics are coupled to these exchanges. Model experiments consider a wide range of watershed, basin, and oceanic characteristics, represented by river discharge and suspended sediment concentration, basin dimensions, tidal range, and ocean sediment concentration. In some scenarios, the vertical accretion of a tidal flat can be greater than the rate of sea level rise. Under these conditions, vertical depositional dynamics can lead to transitions between tidal flat and salt marsh equilibrium states. This type of transition occurs much more rapidly than transitions occurring through horizontal marsh expansion or retreat. In addition, our analyses reveal that river inputs can affect the existence and extent of marsh/tidal flat equilibria by both directly providing suspended sediment (favoring marshes) and by modulating water exchanges with the ocean, thereby indirectly affecting the ocean sediment input to the system (favoring either marshes or tidal flats depending on the ratio of the river and ocean water inputs and their sediment concentrations). The model proposed has the goal of clarifying the roles of the main dynamic processes at play, rather than of predicting the evolution of a particular tidal system. Our model results most directly reflect micro- and meso-tidal environments but also have implications for macro-tidal settings. The model-based analyses presented extend our theoretical understanding of marsh dynamics to a greater range of intertidal environments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polychaetes as indicators of environmental disturbance on subarctic tidal flats, Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory

The polychaetes of the tidal flats near the town of Iqaluit, Baffin Island were analysed along gradients of environmental disturbance resulting from human activity. Sources of environmental disturbance include a sewage lagoon, garbage sites; and an area of the tidal flat that is cleared by bulldozer. Sampling of the tidal flats included 300 biological sediment cores taken from 75 sites along seven transects. Environmental disturbance has resulted in four zones of polychaete communities with increasing distance. The heavily disturbed zone is closest to the disturbances and is devoid of polychaetes. The disturbed zone follows and is characterized by low diversity the result of increased densities of a few opportunistic species such as, Capitella 'capitata' sp. The moderately disturbed zone is characterized by increased species diversity due to organic enrichment from the disturbances. The undisturbed zone, located the furthest from the sources of disturbance, is characterized by moderate levels of diversity compared to the other three zones.     

A synthesis of morphological evolutions and Holocene stratigraphy of a wave-dominated estuary: The Arcachon lagoon,SW France

This work presents the first synthesis of secular to millenary morphological evolutions and stratigraphy of a wave-dominated estuary, the Arcachon lagoon, from a combination of unpublished bathymetric maps (1865 and 2001), core results and high-resolution seismic profiles recorded for the first time in this lagoon. The Arcachon lagoon is located on the Atlantic coast of France, facing the wave-dominated shelf of the Bay of Biscay. It is a mesotidal semi-enclosed environment of about 160 km².The sediment budget of the Arcachon lagoon was computed by subtracting the 1865 bathymetric map from that of 2001. The computed volume difference is low (?9.9±35×10⁶ m³ in 136 yrs) and is the result of the balance between erosion and accretion that occurs within tidal channels and tidal flats, respectively. This morphological evolution pattern is explained by low sediment supply and also by the tidal distortion resulting from the morphology of the lagoon. Deep channels connected to the inlet are dominated by ebb currents inducing erosion. Tidal flats and transverse channels display weak or flood-dominated tidal currents leading to the deposition of silts. The areas of tidal flat siltation locally correlate with the presence of oyster farms, suggesting the influence of Man on the lagoon sediment-fill. Transverse channel-infill is related to weak tidal currents resulting from the hydraulically inefficient orientation of these channels which served as an ancient drainage network.Evidence for tidal channel-infill and channel abandonment are also provided by seismic profiling and cores. The upper stratigraphic succession of the lagoon (about 10 m thick) includes four main stratigraphic units dominated by channel-fills. The two lower units (around 7500–2800 yrs BP) display tabular-shape sandy channels interpreted to be records of the open estuarine phase of the Arcachon lagoon. The two upper units (around 2800 yrs BP to present-day) display U-shaped mixed sand-and-mud channel-fills interpreted to be records of the closure of the lagoon. Given that the basal estuarine units are transgressive and the upper lagoonal units are regressive, the main stratigraphic change at around 2800 yrs BP is interpreted as being the maximum flooding surface (MFS). This late MFS is explained by the low sediment supply. It is proposed that the transition from the estuarine to the lagoonal phase is related to the development of the Cap-Ferret spit in response to an increase in the ratio between wave power to tide power. This change in wave-to-tide ratio may be triggered by wave power increase following the Subboreal/Subatlantic climate instability or a decrease in tide power following a decrease in tidal prism related to the lagoon sediment-fill.Thus, the evolution of the Arcachon lagoon over the last millenaries was mainly controlled by its spit development, leading to a wave-dominated estuary in terms of its geomorphology. Once it was partially closed, extensive mud flats developed in the lagoon which became ebb-dominated.     

Quartz OSL dating of late Holocene beach ridges from the Magdalen Islands (Quebec,Canada)

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been applied to sandy beach ridge systems from the Magdalen Islands in the center of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Quebec, Canada) to provide the first chronological framework for these features. Nineteen beach ridges (22 samples) from four different sites throughout the archipelago were investigated. At one of the sites, samples were taken at 9 m and 7.5 m depth using a vibracore. The quartz is dominated by the fast OSL component and a single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was used to measure the equivalent doses; a low preheat (180°C/10 s) was chosen to avoid the influence of thermal transfer. The average dose recovery ratio of all samples is 1.02 ± 0.02 (n = 130) suggesting that the SAR protocol works satisfactorily on this material. The OSL ages are internally consistent and supported by independent age control (radiocarbon). The OSL ages indicate that the ridges were built between 2.6 ± 0.2 ka and 0.40 ± 0.10 ka, i.e. during a period of sea level rise. This rise eroded adjacent sandstone cliffs, which contributed a significant sediment supply to the littoral drift and beaches. Some low-lying coasts in the archipelago are still prograding, despite a relative sea level increase of ∼1.6 mm/a over the last 600 years. The late Holocene ages obtained in this study indicate that these processes have been active for at least the past two thousand years. This study demonstrates for the first time that OSL dating using quartz has great potential in this area, and is an appropriate method for establishing precise chronologies for coastal sediments in this region of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.     

Net sediment transport in tidal basins: quantifying the tidal barotropic mechanisms in a unified framework

Net sediment transport in tidal basins is a subtle imbalance between large fluxes produced by the flood/ebb alternation. The imbalance arises from several mechanisms of suspended transport. Lag effects and tidal asymmetries are regarded as dominant, but defined in different frames of reference (Lagrangian and Eulerian, respectively). A quantitative ranking of their effectiveness is therefore missing. Furthermore, although wind waves are recognized as crucial for tidal flats’ morphodynamics, a systematic analysis of the interaction with tidal mechanisms has not been carried out so far. We review the tide-induced barotropic mechanisms and discuss the shortcomings of their current classification for numerical process-based models. Hence, we conceive a unified Eulerian framework accounting for wave-induced resuspension. A new methodology is proposed to decompose the sediment fluxes accordingly, which is applicable without needing (semi-) analytical approximations. The approach is tested with a one-dimensional model of the Vlie basin, Wadden Sea (The Netherlands). Results show that lag-driven transport is dominant for the finer fractions (silt and mud). In absence of waves, net sediment fluxes are landward and spatial (advective) lag effects are dominant. In presence of waves, sediment can be exported from the tidal flats and temporal (local) lag effects are dominant. Conversely, sand transport is dominated by the asymmetry of peak ebb/flood velocities. We show that the direction of lag-driven transport can be estimated by the gradient of hydrodynamic energy. In agreement with previous studies, our results support the conceptualization of tidal flats’ equilibrium as a simplified balance between tidal mechanisms and wave resuspension.     

Spatial and temporal factors controlling short‐term sedimentation in a salt and freshwater tidal marsh,Scheldt estuary,Belgium, SW Netherlands

During a one‐year period temporal and spatial variations in suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and deposition were studied on a salt and freshwater tidal marsh in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium, SW Netherlands) using automatic water sampling stations and sediment traps. Temporal variations were found to be controlled by tidal inundation. The initial SSC, measured above the marsh surface at the beginning of inundation events, increases linearly with inundation height at high tide. In accordance with this an exponential relationship is observed between inundation time and sedimentation rates, measured over 25 spring–neap cycles. In addition both SSC and sedimentation rates are higher during winter than during summer for the same inundation height or time. Although spatial differences in vegetation characteristics are large between and within the studied salt and freshwater marsh, they do not affect the spatial sedimentation pattern. Sedimentation rates however strongly decrease with increasing (1) surface elevation, (2) distance from the nearest creek or marsh edge and (3) distance from the marsh edge measured along the nearest creek. Based on these three morphometric parameters, the spatio‐temporal sedimentation pattern can be modelled very well using a single multiple regression model for both the salt and freshwater marsh. A method is presented to compute two‐dimensional sedimentation patterns, based on spatial implementation of this regression model. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of discharge,wind, and tide on sedimentation in a recently restored tidal freshwater wetland

Sediment deposition is one of the key mechanisms to counteract the impact of sea level rise in tidal freshwater wetlands (TFWs). However, information about sediment deposition rates in TFWs is limited, especially for those located in the transition zone between the fluvially dominated and tidally dominated sections of a river delta where sedimentation rates are affected by the combined impact of river discharge, wind, and tides. Using a combined hydrodynamic–morphological model, we examined how hydrometeorological boundary conditions control sedimentation rates and patterns in a TFW located in the Rhine–Meuse estuary in the Netherlands. The modelling results show that net sedimentation rate increases with the magnitude of the river discharge, whereas stronger wind increasingly prevents sedimentation. Sediment trapping efficiency decreases for both increasing river discharge and wind magnitude. The impact of wind storms on the trapping efficiency becomes smaller for higher water discharge. The spatial sedimentation patterns are affected by all controls. Our study illustrates the importance of evaluating both the separate and the joint impact of discharge, wind, and tides when estimating sedimentation rates in a TFW affected by these controls. Such insights are relevant to design measures to reactivate the sedimentation process in these areas.