Complex coastal change in response to autogenic basin infilling: An example from a sub‐tropical Holocene strandplain

Thick bay‐fill sequences that often culminate in strandplain development serve as important sedimentary archives of land–ocean interaction, although distinguishing between internal and external forcings is an ongoing challenge. This study employs sediment cores, ground‐penetrating radar surveys, radiocarbon dates, palaeogeographic reconstructions and hydrodynamic modelling to explore the role of autogenic processes – notably a reduction in wave energy in response to coastal embayment infilling – in coastal evolution and shoreline morphodynamics. Following a regional 2 to 4 m highstand at ca 5·8 ka, the 75 km² Tijucas Strandplain in southern Brazil built from fluvial sediments deposited into a semi‐enclosed bay. Holocene regressive deposits are underlain by fluvial sands and a Pleistocene transgressive–regressive sequence, and backed by a highstand barrier‐island. The strandplain is immediately underlain by 5 to 16 m of seaward‐thickening, fluvially derived, Holocene‐age, basin‐fill mud. Several trends are observed from the landward (oldest) to the seaward (youngest) sections of the strandplain: (i) the upper shoreface and foreshore become finer and thinner and shift from sand‐dominated to mud‐dominated; (ii) beachface slopes decrease from >11° to ca 7°; and (iii) progradation rates increase from 0·4 to 1·8 m yr^?1. Hydrodynamic modelling demonstrates a correlation between progressive shoaling of Tijucas Bay driven by sea‐level fall and sediment infilling and a decrease in onshore wave‐energy transport from 18 to 4 kW m^?1. The combination of allogenic (sediment supply, falling relative sea‐level and geology) and autogenic (decrease in wave energy due to bay shoaling) processes drove the development of a regressive system with characteristics that are rare, if not unique, in the Holocene and rock records. These findings demonstrate the complexities in architecture styles of highstand and regressive systems tracts. Furthermore, this article highlights the diverse internal and external processes and feedbacks responsible for the development of these intricate marginal marine sedimentary systems.     

Influence of harbour constructions on morphosedimentary changes in the Tinto-Odiel estuary mouth (south-west Spain)

The Odiel-Tinto estuary is one of the most significant estuarine systems along the mesotidal Huelva Coast. The dynamics of this coastal sector are controlled by the interaction of ebb-tidal currents and the prevailing southwesterly waves. The main sediment supply is provided by an intensive west-to-east longshore current, transporting sand from Portuguese cliffs and discharge from the River Guadiana. The tidal range is mesotidal (2.0 m) and the mean significant wave height is 0.6 m with an average period of 3.6 s. This estuary mouth comprises three different barriers separated by the main estuary channel, and another marginal one that drains a significant part of the system. Saltés Island can be found between these two channels, which is composed of sandy barriers separated by muddy salt marshes that form a protected natural park. East of the main channel is Mazagón Beach, one of the most important tourist resorts on this coast. Recent papers have demonstrated that Saltés Island evolved as a chenier plain over the last 3000 years. The cause of this evolution was a special wave refraction scheme caused by two ebb-tidal delta systems located at the end of the two tidal channels. Three important harbour infrastructures have been constructed at the estuary mouth: a) a jetty at the end of Saltés Island, finished in 1977; b) a second and shorter jetty bordering the marginal channel constructed in 1984, and; c) a dock for sailing activities built on Mazagón Beach. These three structures have modified the natural dynamic scheme. The first consequence was to inhibit the functioning of the chenier plain, affecting the natural environment; the second was to intensively erode Mazagón Beach, endangering this tourist site.This paper analyses the causal relationships that exist between the harbour infrastructures and the resultant modifications.     

Shell bed tempestites in the Chenier Plain of Louisiana: late Holocene example and modern analogue

Hurricane Ike's storm surge deposited a concentrated shell bed in the form of a series of coalescing washover fans over backshore sand and adjoining marshland in part of southwest Louisiana's Chenier Plain. The shell bed is a tempestite and has distinctive morphological, sedimentological and biogenic characteristics that provide a modern analogue to aid interpretation of older shell bed tempestites in the geological record. The shell bed has a wedge‐shaped profile that thickens landward, is about 40 m wide, up to 27 cm thick and extends several hundred metres parallel to the shore. Shells are predominantly disarticulated valves of the common bivalve Mulinia lateralis, probably reworked and transported landward from skeletal remains offshore. The shell bed has an erosional base, is bioclast supported, normally graded and has common mud rip‐up clasts. Similarities between the modern shell bed and another concentrated shell deposit, forming part of a sandy beach ridge some 1.5 km inland, suggest that the palaeo shell deposit is also a tempestite recording hurricane washover of a former shoreline 600 a ago. These findings demonstrate that the shell bed deposited by Hurricane Ike is a valuable analogue for palaeotempestological investigations and that hurricanes have likely contributed to the construction of both modern berm ridges and palaeo beach ridges on this coastal plain. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄骅古贝壳堤的近代地质意义

本文论述了黄骅古贝壳堤的形成环境和历史及地质意义 ;提出了黄骅古贝壳堤是保护沿海地区环境的天然屏障这一观点 ;发出了为了国土不被淹没、环境不致恶化、保护黄骅古贝壳堤的呼吁 ,以引起人们的关注。     

Chenier的内涵分析和译名建议

名词术语规范化是推动科学技术创新、创建科技话语体系、争取国际科技话语权等工作的基础性工作。Chenier （及与之相关的Chenier Plain）是一种独特而重要的海岸沉积地貌类型,但是其译名并未统一。自1970年来以来,Chenier的中文译名先后出现了4大类、8种,以贝壳堤相对常见,这种情况不利于中文语境下术语的统一表达和高效传播。本文首先详细说明了Chenier的内涵,即位于高潮滩、沿岸、蚀余、粗颗粒天然堤。然后对上述译名进行分析和评述。虽然“贝壳堤”的使用相对最为广泛,但是Chenier既可能主要由贝壳物质组成,也可能以硅质砂砾为主,从而引发矛盾。基于内涵和术语的翻译定名特点,本文建议将Chenier翻译成潮滩堤,Chenier Plain即为潮滩堤平原。考虑到物质组成,潮滩堤（Chenier）可以分两种,一为砂质潮滩堤（Sandy Chenier）,一为贝壳潮滩堤（Shelly Chenier）,后者可以简称为贝壳堤,以及对应的贝壳堤平原。     

贝壳堤的形成与风暴沉积——以广东台山长湾贝壳堤为例

台山市西南部沿海有一条由典型风暴潮沉积堆积形成,出露高度远高于现代风暴潮增水面的贝壳堤.根据贝壳堤出露的横向与纵向剖面以及横剖面上的3个钻孔的形成年代、沉积特征的分析表明风暴潮在贝壳堤发育过程中的不同阶段具有不同的侵蚀与堆积作用;贝壳堤风暴沉积也具有丘状层理、切割充填结构等典型的风暴沉积特征,但贝壳堤风暴沉积与浅海陆架上的风暴沉积在沉积过程、堆积层位、保存条件等方面具有明显的差异.长湾贝壳堤是由多次风暴加积而成,形成贝壳堤的风暴增水高度接近或高于历史最高记录.形成贝壳堤的风暴沉积堆积于平均海面之上,所以增