Observations and modeling of wave-supported sediment gravity flows on the Po prodelta and comparison to prior observations from the Eel shelf

A mooring and tripod array was deployed from the fall of 2002 through the spring of 2003 on the Po prodelta to measure sediment transport processes associated with sediment delivered from the Po River. Observations on the prodelta revealed wave-supported gravity flows of high concentration mud suspensions that are dynamically and kinematically similar to those observed on the Eel shelf [Traykovski, P., Geyer, W.R., Irish, J.D., Lynch, J.F., 2000. The role of wave-induced density-driven fluid mud flows for cross-shelf transport on the Eel River continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research 20, 2113–2140]. Due to the dynamic similarity between the two sites, a simple one-dimensional (1D) across-shelf model with the appropriate bottom boundary condition was used to examine fluxes associated with this transport mechanism at both locations. To calculate the sediment concentrations associated with the wave-dominated and wave-current resuspension, a bottom boundary condition using a reference concentration was combined with an “active layer” formulation to limit the amount of sediment in suspension. Whereas the wave-supported gravity flow mechanism dominated the transport on the Eel shelf, on the Po prodelta flux due to this mechanism is equal in magnitude to transport due to wave resuspension and wind-forced mean currents in the cross-shore direction. Southward transport due to wave resuspension and wind forced mean currents move an order of magnitude more sediment along-shore than the down-slope flux associated wave-supported gravity flows.     

Sediment transport processes from the topset to the foreset of a crenulated clinoform (Adriatic Sea)

Crenulated clinoforms of complex and uncertain origin characterize large portions of the Late-Holocene prograding mud wedge in the western Adriatic continental shelf. Sediment failure was originally postulated as the most plausible mechanism for the formation of the crenulations. Subsequent work has shown that, although the origin of the crenulations may have been related to deformation processes, their maintenance through time seems to be better explained by different sediment accumulation rates in the flat and steep flanks. In order to establish relationships between active sediment dynamics, across-shelf transport and sediment accumulation in these crenulated clinoforms, two tripods and a mooring were deployed off the Pescara River during autumn and winter 2002–2003 as part of the EuroSTRATAFORM program, and in combination with the Po and Apennine Sediment Transport and Accumulation (PASTA) study. The tripods were placed on the shallow topset region and close to the clinoform roll-over point (i.e., offlap break), at 12 and 20-m water depth, respectively, and the mooring was located at 50-m depth, in the crenulated foreset region. Several sediment-resuspension events were recorded, mainly related to Bora and Sirocco storms, during which wave–orbital and current velocities increased considerably. Sediment transport in the topset region was predominantly towards the SE, following the direction of the coastal current and the bathymetry, but showing a significant offshore component at the roll-over point that was intensified during storm events. Currents at the foreset region were also directed to the SE. In mid-waters they were clearly aligned with the local bathymetry, whereas near the bottom they had an important and persistent offshore component. This current behavior seems to be associated with an intense bottom Ekman transport that causes the near-bottom current to be deflected to the left (i.e., offshore) with respect to the direction of the surface current. This mechanism enhances the suspended-sediment transport from the topset down the foreset region along the Adriatic prograding mud wedge, contributing to the basinward clinoform progradation and controlling the depth of the clinoform roll-over point. In addition, activity of near-inertial internal waves was also recorded by the near-bottom instrument deployed in the foreset region. During periods characterized by a strong near-inertial signal, increases of the water turbidity clearly coincided with an intensified offshore velocity component, which suggest that this mechanism also contributes to the transport of suspended sediment across the clinoform. Both the bottom Ekman transport and the internal waves are mechanisms that could be responsible for the formation/maintenance of the Adriatic seafloor crenulations until present-day, although several arguments suggest that the latter likely plays the major role.     

Sediment transport event analysis on the western Adriatic continental shelf

The sediment-transport mechanisms that contribute to and redistribute the modern sediment deposits on the western Adriatic continental shelf were evaluated utilizing data collected from two instrumented benthic tripods deployed at 12-m water depth, one in the northern Adriatic basin on the Po River subaqueous delta, and the other in the central Adriatic basin on the Pescara River shelf. Sediment-resuspension events driven by cold, northeasterly Bora winds dominate the along-shelf transport climatology at both tripod locations, but at the Po delta site, the southwesterly Scirocco wind events also play a significant role. At the Pescara shelf site, interaction between Bora wind-driven currents and the Western Adriatic Coastal Current strongly contributes to the resuspension and advection of suspended sediment. Interannual variability of the forcing mechanisms (including strength, frequency, and relative mix of Bora and Scirocco wind events) is evident in the three winters of data collected on the Po River subaqueous delta. In both types of wind events, and throughout all years of data collection, the net along-shelf sediment transport is significantly larger than the net across-shelf transport at the 12-m sites. This may be characteristic of low-energy environments, where sediment resuspension and transport occurs in such shallow water that it is not subjected to strong downwelling features characteristic of higher-energy environments.     

Sediment movement along the U.S. east coast continental shelf—I. Estimates of bottom stress using the Grant-Madsen model and near-bottom wave and current measurements

Bottom stress is calculated for several long-term time-series observations, made on the U.S. east coast continental shelf during winter, using the wave-current interaction and moveable bed models of Grant and Madsen (1979, Journal of Geophysical Research, 84, 1797–1808; 1982, Journal of Geophysical Research, 87, 469–482). The wave and current measurements were obtained by means of a bottom tripod system which measured current using a Savonius rotor and vane and waves by means of a pressure sensor. The variables were burst sampled about 10% of the time. Wave energy was reasonably resolved, although aliased by wave groupiness, and wave period was accurate to 1–2 s during large storms. Errors in current speed and direction depend on the speed of the mean current relative to the wave current. In general, errors in bottom stress caused by uncertainties in measured current speed and wave characteristics were 10–20%.During storms, the bottom stress calculated using the Grant-Madsen models exceeded stress computed from conventional drag laws by a factor of about 1.5 on average and 3 or more during storm peaks. Thus, even in water as deep as 80 m, oscillatory near-bottom currents associated with surface gravity waves of period 12 s or longer will contribute substantially to bottom stress. Given that the Grant-Madsen model is correct, parameterizations of bottom stress that do not incorporate wave effects will substantially underestimate stress and sediment transport in this region of the continental shelf.     

A field study of coastal dynamics on a muddy coast offshore of Cassino beach,Brazil

Mud deposits near sandy beaches, found throughout the world, are of scientific and societal interest as they form important natural sea defenses by efficiently damping storm waves. A multi-national field experiment to study these phenomena was performed offshore Cassino beach in southern Brazil starting in 2004. This experiment aimed to investigate the formation of an offshore mud deposit, to characterize wave attenuation over potentially mobile muddy bottoms, and to evaluate the performance of models for wave transformation over heterogeneous beds through the measurement of water waves, near-bottom currents, bathymetry, and changes in bottom sediment characteristics. The main instrumentation was a set of wave sensors deployed in a transect from the shoreline across sandy and muddy deposits offshore to a depth of 25 m. Additional sensors, including current meters and optical backscatter sensors, were concentrated at stations in the middle of the mud deposit and in the surf zone to document aspects of the wave boundary layer and lutocline dynamics. This fieldwork also involved the geological and geotechnical characterization of the mud deposit using seismic equipment, echo-sounders, cores, surficial sampling and an in-situ density meter. These sediment samples were subsequently analyzed for density, grain size distribution, mineralogy, rheology and sedimentary structures. In addition, video and radar monitoring equipment were installed to measure the long-term aspects of surf zone damping by fluid mud and any associated morphodynamic responses. This paper provides a summary of environmental conditions monitored during the experiment and describes the major findings of the various investigations. Although data collection was more difficult than anticipated and dramatic wave attenuation involving the onshore transport of fluid mud into the surf zone region was not observed during the instrumented interval, the new methodologies developed and comprehensive observations obtained during this effort are being used to improve our understanding of shoaling wave dynamics and sediment transport in the coastal zone in regions with significant cohesive sediment deposits.     

Flocculation,heavy metals (Cu,Pb, Zn) and the sand–mud transition on the Adriatic continental shelf,Italy

Across a limited depth range (5–10 m) on many continental shelves, the dominant sediment size changes from sand to mud. This important boundary, called the sand–mud transition (SMT), separates distinct benthic habitats, causes a significant change in acoustic backscatter, represents a key facies change, and delimits more surface-reactive mud from less surface-reactive sand. With the goal of improving dynamical understanding of the SMT, surficial sediments were characterized across two SMTs on the Adriatic continental shelf of Italy. Geometric mean diameter, specific surface area (SSA), mud fraction (<63 μm) and heavy metal concentrations were all measured. The SMT related to the Tronto River is identified between 15 and 20 m water depth while the SMT associated with the Pescara River varies between 15 and 25 m water depth. The sediment properties correlate with a new, process-based sedimentological parameter that quantifies the fraction of the sediment in the seabed that was delivered as flocs. These correlations suggest that floc dynamics exert strong influence over sediment textural properties and metal concentrations. Relative constancy in the depth of the SMT along this portion of the margin and its lack of evolution over a period during which sediment input to the margin has dramatically decreased suggest that on the Adriatic continental shelf energy is the dominant control on the depth of the SMT.     

Interactions among waves,current, and mud: Numerical and laboratory studies

Interactions between waves, current, mud and turbulence are very complicated in the coastal and estuarine turbid waters. It is still necessary to improve our understanding of the fundamental physical processes governing the cohesive sediment transport in the coastal and estuarine waters. A numerical model is developed to study the interactions among waves, current, and mud. An eddy viscosity model for wave and current is proposed in order to close the equations of wave motion or of current motion in a combined flow, respectively. The equations of mud transport are derived based on the visco-elastic properties of mud. Coupling the equations of wave motion or of current motion for water layer with those of mud layer can give (1) wave height; (2) distributions of current velocities in the water layer; (3) distributions of transport velocities at the water–mud interface; and (4) distributions of mass transport velocities within the mud layer. These modeled results are in a reasonable agreement with experimental results. Results suggest that (1) the rate of wave attenuation increases in the opposing currents (currents against in the direction in which the waves propagate) and decreases in the following currents (currents in the same direction as that in which the waves propagate); (2) the opposing currents would have more significant effects on the rate of wave height attenuation than the following currents; (3) the effect of current on the rate of wave attenuation on the muddy bottom is larger than that on the rigid bottom; (4) mud transport rate increased in the following currents but decreased in the opposing currents; and (5) the rate of wave height attenuation on the mud bottom is one order of magnitude larger than that on the rigid bottom.     

Sediment delivery,resuspension, and transport in two contrasting canyon environments in the southwest Gulf of Lions

Multiple canyons incise the continental slope at the seaward edge of the continental shelf in the Gulf of Lions and are actively involved in the transfer of sediment from shelf to deep sea. Two canyons in the southwest region of the Gulf of Lions, Lacaze-Duthiers Canyon and Cap de Creus Canyon, were instrumented with bottom-boundary-layer tripods in their heads to evaluate the processes involved in sediment delivery, resuspension and transport. In both canyons, intense cold, dense-water flows carry sediment across the slope. In the Lacaze-Duthiers canyon head (located ∼35 km from the shoreline), dense-water cascading into the canyon was episodic. Currents were highly variable in the canyon head, and responded to interactions between the along-slope Northern Current and the sharp walls of the canyon. Inertial and other high-frequency fluctuations were associated with suspended-sediment concentrations of ∼5 mg/l. In Cap de Creus canyon head (located ∼14 km from the shoreline), downslope currents were higher in magnitude and more persistent than in Lacaze-Duthiers canyon head. Greater suspended-sediment concentrations (peaks up to 20 mg/l) were observed in Cap de Creus Canyon due to resuspension of the canyon seabed during dense-water cascading events. The similarities and contrasts between processes in these two canyon heads emphasize the importance of the interaction of currents with sharp canyon bathymetry. The data also suggest that cold, dense-water flows have more potential to carry sediment to the slope on narrow shelves, and may more efficiently transfer that sediment to the deep sea where a smooth transition between shelf and slope exists.     

Sediment transport on the Palos Verdes shelf,California

Sediment transport and the potential for erosion or deposition have been investigated on the Palos Verdes (PV) and San Pedro shelves in southern California to help assess the fate of an effluent-affected deposit contaminated with DDT and PCBs. Bottom boundary layer measurements at two 60-m sites in spring 2004 were used to set model parameters and evaluate a one-dimensional (vertical) model of local, steady-state resuspension, and suspended-sediment transport. The model demonstrated skill (Brier scores up to 0.75) reproducing the magnitudes of bottom shear stress, current speeds, and suspended-sediment concentrations measured during an April transport event, but the model tended to underpredict observed rotation in the bottom-boundary layer, possibly because the model did not account for the effects of temperature–salinity stratification. The model was run with wave input estimated from a nearby buoy and current input from four to six years of measurements at thirteen sites on the 35- and 65-m isobaths on the PV and San Pedro shelves. Sediment characteristics and erodibility were based on gentle wet-sieve analysis and erosion-chamber measurements. Modeled flow and sediment transport were mostly alongshelf toward the northwest on the PV shelf with a significant offshore component. The 95th percentile of bottom shear stresses ranged from 0.09 to 0.16 Pa at the 65-m sites, and the lowest values were in the middle of the PV shelf, near the Whites Point sewage outfalls where the effluent-affected layer is thickest. Long-term mean transport rates varied from 0.9 to 4.8 metric tons m⁻¹ yr⁻¹ along the 65-m isobaths on the PV shelf, and were much higher at the 35-m sites. Gradients in modeled alongshore transport rates suggest that, in the absence of a supply of sediment from the outfalls or PV coast, erosion at rates of ∼0.2 mm yr⁻¹ might occur in the region southeast of the outfalls. These rates are small compared to some estimates of background natural sedimentation rates (∼5 mm yr⁻¹), but do not preclude higher localized rates near abrupt transitions in sediment characteristics. However, low particle settling velocities and strong currents result in transport length-scales that are long relative to the narrow width of the PV shelf, which combined with the significant offshore component in transport, means that transport of resuspended sediment towards deep water is as likely as transport along the axis of the effluent-affected deposit.     

Sediment transport and resuspension due to combined motion of wave and current in the northern Adriatic Sea during a Bora event in January 2001: A numerical modelling study

The Adriatic Sea general circulation model coupled to a third generation wave model SWAN and a sediment transport model was implemented in the Adriatic Sea to study the dynamics of the sediment transport and resuspension in the northern Adriatic Sea (NAS) during the Bora event in January 2001. The bottom boundary layer (BBL) was resolved by the coupled model with high vertical resolution, and the mechanism of the wave–current interaction in the BBL was also represented in the model. The study found that, during the Bora event of 13–17 January 2001, large waves with significant wave height 2 m and period of 5 s were generated by strong winds in the northwestern shelf of the Adriatic where the direction of wave propagation was orthogonal to the current. The combined motion of the wave and current in the BBL increased the bottom stress over the western Adriatic shelf, resulting in stronger sediment resuspension there. Combining stronger bottom resuspension and strong upward vertical flux of resuspended sediments due to turbulent mixing, the model predicted that sediment concentration near the Po River was much higher than that predicted by the model run without wave forcing. The study also shows that wave–current interaction in the BBL reduced the western Adriatic Coastal Currents (WACCs) in the shallower north. It is concluded that wave forcing significantly changed the sediment distributions and increased the total horizontal fluxes over the western shelf. These results signified wave effect on sediment flux and distribution in the NAS, and suggested that waves cannot be neglected in the study of dynamics of sediment transport and resuspension in the shallow coastal seas. By including the tidal forcing in the coupled model, we also examined the effect of tides on the sediment transport dynamics in the NAS.     

Physical processes around a cuspate foreland:: implications to the evolution and long-term maintenance of a cape-associated shoal

Understanding across-margin transport has long been recognized as crucial for wise management of our coastline and shelf waters. Issues related to sewage outfalls, nutrient and pollutant dispersal, carbon export, and shoreline sediment budgets all require an understanding of these processes. Across-margin transport of water and sediment at cuspate foreland headlands has been largely unrecognized, and the processes responsible for this export unappreciated. We examined physical process on Cape Lookout Shoal, a cape-associated shoal on the North Carolina continental shelf, through numerical modeling and field observations of near-bottom currents. The cuspate foreland setting of the northern South Atlantic Bight has been previously characterized as wave-dominated with a principal alongshore directed sediment transport and physical circulation forced by wave and wind-driven currents along the inner and mid-shelf. Our findings instead suggest that a seaward-directed, tidal-driven headland flow many play a significant role in the direction of net sediment transport on the shoal and ultimately its location and long-term maintenance. The shoal's location relative to the promontory-induced residual eddies and the region of active deposition differs from traditionally held ideas on sedimentary processes at headland-related sand banks. In addition, the headland flows may also serve as a first-order mechanism for rapidly exporting nearshore and estuarine waters to the outer-shelf.     

Dynamics,sediment transport,and morphology in a tide-dominated embayment

Western Port, Victoria, Australia is a tide-dominated embayment with an unusual and complex shape. Bottom currents and circulation and their effects on sediment processes were examined using instrumented tripods to measure currents, tides and wave activity, and to estimate sediment transport at nine locations in the bay. Overall bottom water movement patterns were determined by use of seabed drifters. The characteristics of the bay reflect a small catchment and low freshwater and sediment input. A complex system of channels is flanked by extensive intertidal areas. Tidal range varies up to more than 3 m, generating bottom currents up to 70cm s^?1. Flow directions generally conform to channel alignments but major deviations are important. Net circulation in the bay is clockwise around the large central island. The ratio of tidal range to half-tidal period (ΔH/ΔT) when compared with measured currents gave a method of prediction of the annual frequency distribution of maximum bottom current velocities. Determination of threshold current velocities enabled prediction of annual frequency of bedload movement (generally 50–100 per cent of tide cycles). Bedload mass transport for all observed tide cycles was calculated, and estimates of annual mass transport capacity (between 10² and 10⁶ g cm^?1 a^?1( were obtained from a relationship between predicted tidal conditions and mass transport. Seabed drifters delineated the major bottom water movements in the bay and adjacent Bass Strait, and also detailed circulation patterns. This linked the data from the tripod stations, in particular patterns of ebb- and flood-dominance. A coherent picture of the processes operating in Western Port is presented by integrating these studies with corroborative studies of sediment distribution and morphology, hydrochemistry, and mathematical modelling. Some morphological characteristics related to tide-dominance are discussed.     

Fine-sediment transport associated with cold-front passages on the shallow shelf,Gulf of Mexico

The eastern part of the chenier plain of the Louisiana coast has been prograding seaward over the last few decades while much of the rest of the Louisiana coast is experiencing high erosion rates. The source of sediment is the Atchafalaya River, which has been delivering sediment to the coastal ocean since the 1940s. Researchers have suggested that the repeated passage of cold fronts during winter and early spring plays an important role in delivering sediment to the coast. A sediment-transport study on the Atchafalaya coast was conducted between October 1997 and March 2001, which included several field experiments in early March, the period of high discharge from the Atchafalaya and frequent cold-front activity. A combination of shipboard profiling and time-series measurements from a bottom tripod and array of wave sensors on the inner shelf has resulted in a data set that illustrates the mechanism of onshore transport. For a cold-front passage sampled in 2001, during pre-front conditions, sediment is resuspended and mixed throughout the water column, with transport rates onshore and to the west of 53 and 184 g s⁻¹ m⁻¹, respectively. Post-front conditions also result in onshore transport due to onshore flow (upwelling) in the lower meter of the water column and formation of a high-concentration bottom layer. Post-front onshore transport rates are 32 g s⁻¹ m⁻¹ and most of the transport occurs in the bottom meter of the water column. The repeated cycling of cold-front passages leads to a positive feedback with transport onshore during both pre- and post-front conditions, and effective attenuation of wave energy over the muddy inner shelf inhibits erosion at the coast. Thus, the chenier-plain coast is experiencing high progradation rates (up to 29 m yr⁻¹), while most of the Gulf coast is eroding.     

Post-glacial sediment dynamics in the Irish Sea and sediment wave morphology: Data–model comparisons

The irregular seafloor of the narrow Irish Sea on the NW European Shelf has been documented over several decades. From recently collected swath bathymetry data, very large trochoidal, nearly symmetrical sediment waves are observed in many parts of the Irish Sea and appear similar to those described from other continental shelf seas in North America that were covered by glacigenic sediments during the Last Glacial Maximum. Swath multibeam and single beam bathymetry data, backscatter intensity, shallow seismic imagery, video footage and sediment cores from the Irish Sea high sediment waves have been integrated to identify their genesis with reference to present and past hydrodynamic variability. From cross-sectional profiles over asymmetrical sediment waves in the Irish Sea the direction of asymmetry is used to map residual bed stress directions and associated bedload transport paths. Irish Sea peak bed stress vectors were generated using a two-dimensional palaeo-tidal model for the NW European shelf seas and compare well with the observations. Tidally induced bed stresses are modelled to have increased between 7–10 ka BP, to be nearly symmetrical in magnitude and to have reversed in dominant direction on a millennial scale. These environmental conditions during the post-glacial marine transgression are suggested here to help comprehend the construction of the very large sediment waves, with local variations due to differences in sediment grain size, sediment supply, water depth and intensified currents due to seafloor slopes. Model parameterisation using an open ocean boundary with time-dependent tidal changes and the implementation of high-resolution bathymetric information will improve future models of small-scale bed shear stress patterns and improve the predictive value of such modelling efforts.     

Clinoform mechanics in the Gulf of Papua, New Guinea

The largest islands of the Indo-Pacific Archipelago are estimated to account for 20–25% of the global sediment discharge to the ocean, and much (>50%) of this sediment is supplied to wide (>150 km) continental shelves. These conditions are conducive to creation of large-scale morphologic features known as clinoforms—sigmoidal-shaped deposits on the continental shelf. The Gulf of Papua (GOP) receives 3.84 ×10⁸ tons of sediment annually from three principal sediment suppliers, the Fly, Kikori and Purari Rivers, and its prograding clinoform is the focus of this study. During three research cruises, 80 cores and 37 CTD/optical backscatter casts were collected, and an instrumented tripod was deployed twice. Sedimentological and radiochemical results indicate that the GOP clinoform has characteristics similar to those seaward of other major rivers (e.g., Amazon, Ganges–Brahmaputra), specifically sand/mud interbedding on the topset, rapidly accumulating muds on the foreset, and siliciclastic mud mixed with carbonate sand on the bottomset.Using core data and field observations, the mechanics of clinoform progradation are examined. Discrete, large sedimentation events are identified as processes building the clinoform feature. X-radiographs from foreset cores reveal thick beds (>5 cm) between bioturbated sections. Detailed ²¹⁰Pb and grain-size data indicate that low activities and increased clay contents are associated with these beds. They are hypothesized to be formed by fluid–mud deposition in response to periods of large wave-tide bed shear stresses, more likely during the SE-tradewind season, and their regular occurrence produces high rates of mean accumulation (4 cm/y). Bed preservation is determined by the rates of sediment accumulation and bioturbation.To assess the influence of physical oceanographic factors on clinoform shape, bottom shear stresses from tides and surface waves were calculated using available wave and tripod data. This effort reveals that the depth range (25–40 m) of the clinoform rollover point (seaward edge of the topset region) is roughly consistent with the sediment-transport regime. Furthermore, calculations corroborate the core data that suggest possible seasonal sediment storage in the inner topset region (<15-m water depth, during the NW-monsoon winds) with subsequent transfer to foreset beds (more probable during SE-tradewind conditions).A 100-yr sediment budget created with accumulation rate data suggests approximately 20% of the total sediment supplied to the GOP accumulates on the clinoform (creating the clinoform morphology). Less than 5% is believed to escape to the adjacent slope, and much of the remaining 75% is likely trapped on the inner-topset region (<20 m water depth) and within the mangrove forests and flood/delta plains of the northern GOP.     

Physical problems of the benthic boundary layer

Since the boundary layer at the sea bed has a number of features in common with boundary layers found in laboratory scale flows and in meteology, a brief review is given first of the properties which may be inferred from experience in these fields or from theoretical studies. Measurements of velocity profiles, turbulence, and shearing stress which have been made near the bottom, in deep water, and on the continental shelf, are described in relation to this background. In particular, the logarithmic form of the velocity profile near the bed and deductions from it appear to be valid in certain conditions, but the occurrence of ripples and other bed forms is a complicating feature. The relation of the dynamical aspects of the flow to the transport of sediment as bed load and in suspension is discussed. The diflusive properties of the layer are then considered, in relation to fluxes near the sea-sediment interface and to the formation of nepheloid layers or layers well mixed in temperature and salinity.At Dept. of Oceanography, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, U.S.A., Jan. to Aug. 1978.     

Some observations of internal wave current fluctuations at the shelf-edge and their implications for sediment transport

Observations of internal wave current fluctuations at a site on the European continental shelf are described. These have revealed current ‘pulses’ of regular tidal (M₂) phase which may be associated with internal tides generated at the shelf-edge. Current ‘pulses’ have been observed with amplitudes of 30 to 40 cm s^?1 superimposed on peak spring tidal currents of the order 60 to 70 cm s^?1. The measurements have shown that these fluctuations extended throughout the bottom mixed layer to within at least 2 m of the sea bed where they may play an important role in modifying sediment transport rates.     

Lateral circulation driven by boundary mixing and the associated transport of sediments in idealized partially mixed estuaries

A three-dimensional, hydrostatic, primitive equation numerical model with modern turbulence closures is used to explore lateral circulation and the associated transport of sediments in idealized, moderately to highly stratified estuaries. The model results suggest that boundary mixing on a sloping bottom can drive a significant amount of lateral circulation. This mechanism has received little attention to date in the estuarine literature. Good agreement with an analytical solution and similar vertical structures of lateral flows to observations from the Hudson River estuary support the importance of the boundary mixing mechanism. Boundary mixing is at least as important as differential advection for the modeled scenarios, when the two mechanisms are evaluated using the salt balance equation for model runs without rotation. Linearly superposing analytical solutions for lagged boundary mixing lateral flow and Ekman-forced lateral flow yields a good representation of the near-bottom lateral flow from the model with rotation. The 2 h lag required for the boundary mixing solution is roughly equal to the vertical diffusion time scale, indicating that lateral flow adjustment depends on development of a bottom mixed layer. Sediment dynamics at cross sections seaward and landward of the salt intrusion are very different. Seaward of the salt intrusion, sediments are eroded in the channel and preferentially deposited on the right slope (looking seaward), mainly due to the combination of high sediment concentration in the channel during flood with strong up-slope transport on that side (tidal pumping). Lateral sediment re-distribution landward of the salt intrusion is negligible due to weak residual lateral circulation.     

Numerical study of circulation on the inner Amazon Shelf

We studied the circulation on the coastal domain of the Amazon Shelf by applying the hydrodynamic module of the estuarine and coastal ocean model and sediment transport. The first barotropic experiment aimed to explain the major bathymetric effects on tides and those generated by anisotropy in sediment distribution. We analyzed the continental shelf response of barotropic tides under realistic bottom stress parametrization (C _d ), considering sediment granulometry obtained from a faciologic map, where river mud deposits and reworked sediments areas are well distinguished, among others classes of sediments. Very low C _d values were set in the fluid mud regions off the Amapá coast (1.0 10^???4), in contrast to values around 3.5 10^???3 for coarser sediment regions off the Pará coast. Three-dimensional experiments represented the Amazon River discharge and trade winds, combined to barotropic tide influences and induced vertical mixing. The quasiresonant response of the Amazon Shelf to the M₂ tide acts on the local hydrodynamics by increasing tidal admittance, along with tidal forcing at the shelf break and extensive fluid mud regions. Harmonic analysis of modeled currents agreed well with the analysis of the AMASSEDS observational data set. Tidal-induced vertical shear provided strong homogenization of threshold waters, which are subject to a kind of hydraulic control due to the topographic steepness. Ahead of the hydraulic jump, the low-salinity plume is disconnected from the bottom and acquires negative vorticity, turning southeastward. Tides act as a generator mechanism and topography, via hydraulic control, acts as a maintainer mechanism for the low-salinity frontal zone positioning. Tidally induced southeastward plume fate is overwhelmed by northwestward trade winds so that they, along with background circulation, probably play the most important role on the plume fate and variability over the Amazon Shelf.     

Seasonal variation in sediment transport on the Russian River shelf,California

Near-bottom currents, light transmission and scattering, and bottom pressure were measured with GEOPROBE tripods and vector-averaging current meters during June 1979 to April 1980 on the central shelf 10 km west of the Russian River, California. The instruments were located on the mid-shelf mud belt composed of bimodal sandy clayey silts contributed principally by the Russian River. During the summer season of persistent northwesterly, upwelling-favorable winds, the average and maximum current speeds 5 m above the bottom were 11 and 31 cm s^?1, respectively. The mean (subtidal) flow at 5 m above bottom was poleward and slightly offshore at about 6 cm s^?1. The strongest wave-generated bottom currents were about 10 cm s^?1, but oscillatory velocities > 5 cm s^?1 were infrequent. Suspended-matter concentrations, derived from the optical data at 1.9 m above the bottom, ranged from 1 to 6 mg l^?1. The optical data show that the currents and waves were generally below threshold levels for sediment erosion through the summer. In contrast, during the autumn and, particularly, the winter months, the average and maximum concentrations of suspended matter increased substantially. The increases were primarily caused by larger waves from distant storms and short intervals of strong currents associated with local storms and, secondarily, by the large seasonal flow of the Russian River. Wind-driven and wave-generated bottom currents were as large as 37 and 45 cm s^?1, respectively, during local storms in December 1979 and February 1980. Suspended-matter concentrations averaged about 7 mg l^?1 during non-storm winter periods, but increased to nearly 150 mg l^?1 during a December storm. Estimates of suspended-matter flux near the bottom show that the local winter storms, which had a combined duration of about 12 days, could account for 30 to 50% of the total annual suspended-sediment transport at the mid-shelf site. Although intervals of large swell were at times superimposed on southward advective currents, the major sediment-transport events were caused by strong southerly winds that produced poleward bottom currents with a significant offshore component. The primary aspects of the distribution of modern sediments on this shelf are in good agreement with the observed poleward transport.