Morphodynamic modelling of open-sea tidal channels eroded into a sandy seabed, with reference to the channel systems on the China coast

In this contribution, the morphodynamics of open-sea tidal channels eroded into sandy seabed in regions of flow constriction is simulated by a one-dimensional model using the Bagnold formula for bedload transport rate, and accounting for the effect of bed slope. The results show that equilibrium conditions for such channels can be reached over a period of 10²–10³ years. Sediment eroded from the channel floor is transported in the direction of the dominant current, and deposited beyond the regions of flow constriction where the current looses competence due to spreading. In this way, the material remobilized from older strata in the channels is deposited in younger sand banks near the channel heads. Where several successive channels are incised along the current axis, they interact in their morphological evolution. The morphodynamic equilibrium of a tidal channel is reached once the combined interacting sedimentological and hydrodynamic factors, such as sediment particle diameter, tidal current velocity and flood/ebb dominance, are balanced. The model output shows that the equilibrium shape of the tidal channels appears to be related mainly to flow field characteristics and, to a lesser extent, to particle size. A positive correlation exists between the depth of the channels and their response times. The equilibrium water depths of the channels are more sensitive to current speed than to either particle size or the time–velocity asymmetry of the flow field. The response times for overall morphological equilibrium are sensitive to all of the above-mentioned parameters. In particular, sediment characteristics associated with critical current velocities have far-reaching effects on the morphodynamic behaviour of tidal channels.