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ABSTRACTThe paper presents a map of sediment surface distribution and bedforms in the Harle tidal inlet, German Wadden Sea. Data collection, processing, and map editing were realized within the sublittoral mapping program of Lower Saxony national waters carried out by the NLWKN – Coastal Research Station. The map is the result of the combined use of multibeam echosounder, sub-bottom profiler, and ground-truth data. The sediment characterization is achieved by an unsupervised approach using an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) on a normalized backscatter mosaic, verified by nineteen sediment samples. Morphometrical parameters and sub-bottom data provided important information to identify hard substrates and bedforms.

Tidal inlet structures are engineering projects with associated benefits related to flood control, water quality enhancement, and coastal protection. This study analyzes the performance of hydraulic gates on a stabilized inlet in estuarine systems by developing a simplified hydraulic model that considers inlet and outlet water levels. The proposed model was applied to the stabilized tidal inlet structure in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. This model offers a practical tool for engineers and designers operating estuarine systems. The analysis focuses on the coastal lagoon of Ciénaga de la Virgen. The proposed model was successfully calibrated using two water sensors, with extreme input and outlet flow rates of approximately 260 m3/s and 110 m3/s, respectively. The average daily output volume in the system is 3,361,000 m3, while the average daily input volume is 3,200,000 m3. Consequently, the manipulation of the opening gates results in a decrease in the estuarine water level, potentially by as much as 25 cm, which local authorities can use to make decisions to reduce extreme water levels during flooding events.

ABSTRACT The Mundaú-Manguaba Estuary Lagoon Complex (CELMM), located on the coast of Alagoas state in Northeastern Brazil, consists of two choked coastal lagoons connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a series of narrow channels, establishing a single tidal inlet, which dynamically alters their position. This study uses the modeling system SisBaHiA® (in Portuguese, Sistema Hidrodinâmico Ambiental) and Trophic Index (TRIX) to evaluate how morphological changes in the CELMM can influence the water quality of the lagoons. The results showed that water quality is mainly influenced by river discharge regimes, with no major changes in the region of the tidal inlet for the three simulated years (2006, 2014 and 2017). Trophic index showed greater changes in the rainy season, with a decline in values as river discharge increases, mainly in the northwest and central portions of the Mundaú Lagoon. In the Manguaba Lagoon an opposite pattern was found, namely a rise in the Trophic index with increased river discharges.

We present an extensive experimental campaign dedicated to the identification of coherent trajectory patterns owing to flow occurring in tidal environments, characterized by a tidal inlet and a channel with lateral tidal flats. Single and multiple harmonics tides are here reproduced on a large-scale physical model. The study of the large scale macro-vortices, generated by vortex shedding during the flood phase from the inlet barrier, is performed employing the Lagrangian Average Vorticity Deviation (LAVD). The presence of large-scale vortices with a complex dynamics within a tidal period suggested a deeper understanding on the possible environmental implications in terms of transport connections or barriers. Finite Time Lyapunov Exponents are employed in order to recognize stable and unstable manifolds within the flow that are defined as preferred paths along which particles are repelled (forward integration) or attracted (backward).

Barrier islands and their backbarrier saltmarshes have a reciprocal relationship: aeolian and storm processes transport sediment from the beaches and dunes to create and build marshes along the landward fringe of the island. In turn, these marshes exert a stabilizing influence on the barrier by widening the barrier system and forming a platform onto which the island migrates, consequently slowing landward barrier migration and inhibiting storm breaching. Here, we present a novel framework for applying these natural interdependencies to managing coastal systems and enhancing barrier-island resilience. Further, we detail application of these principles through a case study of the design of a marsh creation project that showcases the interdisciplinary engagement of scientists, engineers, stakeholders, and policymakers. Specifically, we describe: (1) the ecologic, sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and morphologic data obtained from the southern 4 km of Cedar Island (Virginia, United States) and nearby backbarrier tidal channels, tidal flats, and flood-tidal deltas, and (2) the use of those data to develop an engineering and design plan for the construction of a high (46 ha) and low (42 ha) fringing marsh platform located behind the island, proximal to a former ephemeral inlet. Additionally, we chronicle the process used to narrow five initial alternative designs to the optimal final plan. This process involved balancing best-available existing science and models, considering design and financial constraints, identifying stakeholder preferences, and maximizing restoration benefits of habitat provision and shoreline protection. Construction of this marsh would: (1) provide additional habitat and ecosystem benefits, (2) slow the rapid migration (up to 15 m/yr at present) of the barrier island, and (3) hinder island breaching. Ultimately, this project – presently at the final design and permitting stage – may enhance the storm and sea-level rise resilience of the island, backbarrier marshes and lagoons, and the mainland town community; and provide an example of a novel science-based approach to coastal resilience that could be applied to other global barrier settings.

When longshore transport systems encounter tidal inlets, complex mechanisms are involved in bypassing sand to downdrift barriers. Here, this process is examined at Plum Island Sound and Essex Inlets, Massachusetts, USA. One major finding from this study is that sand is transferred along the coast—especially at tidal inlets—by parcels, in discrete steps, and over decadal-scale periods. The southerly orientation of the main-ebb channel at Plum Island Sound, coupled with the landward migration of bars from the ebb delta to the central portion of the downdrift Castle Neck barrier island, have formed a beach protuberance. During the constructional phase, sand is sequestered at the protuberance and the spit-end of the barrier becomes sediment starved, leading to shoreline retreat and a broadening of the spit platform at the mouth to Essex Bay (downdrift side of Castle Neck). Storm-induced sand transport from erosion of the spit and across the spit platform is washed into Essex Bay, filling channels and enlarging flood deltas. This study illustrates the pathways and processes of sand transfer along the shoreline of a barrier-island/tidal-inlet system and provides an important example of the processes that future hydrodynamic and sediment-transport modeling should strive to replicate.

Existing barrier island facies models are largely based on modern observations. This approach highlights the heterogeneous and dynamic nature of barrier island systems, but it overlooks processes tied to geologic time scales, such as multi-directional motion, erosion, and reworking, and their expressions as preserved strata. Accordingly, this study uses characteristic outcrop expressions from paralic strata of the Upper Cretaceous Straight Cliffs Formation in southern Utah to update models for barrier island motion and preservation to include geologic time-scale processes. Results indicate that the key distinguishing facies and architectural elements of preserved barrier island systems have very little to do with “island” morphology as observed in modern systems. Four facies associations are used to describe and characterize these barrier island architectural elements. Barrier islands occur in association with backbarrier fill (FA1) and internally contain lower and upper shoreface (FA2), proximal upper shoreface (FA3), and tidal channel facies (FA4). Three main architectural elements (barrier island shorefaces, shoreface-dominated inlet fill, and channel-dominated inlet fill) occur independently or in combination to create stacked barrier island deposits. Barrier island shorefaces record progradation, while shoreface-dominated inlet fill records lateral migration, and channel-dominated inlet fill records aggradation within the tidal inlet. Barrier islands are bound by lagoons or estuaries and are distinguished from other shoreface deposits by their internal facies and outcrop geometry, association with backbarrier facies, and position within transgressive successions. Tidal processes, in particular, tidal inlet migration and reworking of the upper shoreface, also distinguish barrier island successions. In sum, this study expands barrier island facies models and provides new recognition criteria to account for the complex geometries of time-transgressive, preserved barrier island deposits.

Abstract Wave energy gradients between and along the margins of inlet channels play an important role in defining the inlet margins’ evolutionary processes, mainly those related to spit erosion or accretion, and inlet migration. The aim of this study is to understand the wave power distribution along the margins of a tidal inlet (Cananéia inlet, São Paulo, Brazil), its variation over time, and the influences of the ebb tidal delta morphology on the incoming waves. To evaluate changes in bathymetry and morphology of submersed features, we apply geoprocessing techniques to analyze nautical charts from the Brazilian Navy from 1939, 1971, 1985 and 2004. The numerical model MIKE21 SW was applied to assess wave propagation and nearshore wave power. Hence, wave energy levels along the inlet margins were assessed in terms of decadal morphological changes. The results indicate a dynamic behavior of the inlet and ebb tidal delta, pointing to the ebb tidal delta as the main transforming agent of the waves that reach the inner portion of the channel. The morphological changes of the ebb tidal delta over the last decades are critical to define the action of waves on the margins of the inlet.

It is well known that estuarine systems are significantly affected by hydrodynamic conditions such as river discharge, storm surges, waves and tidal conditions. In addition to this, human interferences through developmental projects have the capability of disrupting the natural morphological processes occurring at estuaries. In West Africa, the goal to improve standards of living through large-scale dam construction, offshore ports and coastal erosion countermeasures has triggered alarming changes in the morphodynamics of estuarine systems. The estuaries at the Volta River mouth (Ghana) and “Bouche du Roi” inlet (Benin), located along the Bight of Benin coast, West Africa, were selected as two case study sites to examine their long-term morphodynamics and sandspit evolution. In this study, we primarily analyzed estuarine morphology using remotely sensed images acquired from 1984 to 2020. We further estimated the longshore sediment transport for this region using results from the image analysis and the depth of active sediment motion. Our results reveal that the longshore sediment transport rates for this region are in the magnitude of 105–106 m3/year. Comparative analysis with other estuaries and sandy coasts suggests that the longshore sediment transport along this coast has one of the largest rates estimated in the world.

The growing interest in monitoring the marine environment has strongly encouraged governmental agencies and research institutes to undertake seabed mapping programs and stimulated scientific interest in innovative mapping methods and tools. In this study, object-based image analysis was used to map a very shallow tidal inlet, characterized by high sediment variability and intense morphodynamic processes. The aim was to test the feasibility of reproducible mapping approaches within extended mapping programs of complex coastal areas. The study is based on full-coverage, high-resolution bathymetry and reflectivity, calibrated by means of sediment samples. Seafloor segmentation and classification were based on a cluster analysis performed on reflectivity, slope, and ruggedness. Statistics of clusters were extracted and analysed to identify the optimal number of clusters and evaluate the suitability of the clustering process to differentiate different seabed types. Clusters and samples data were joined to create a training and validation dataset for characterizing the seabed and carrying out an accuracy assessment. Misclassifications were explored and referred to three main reasons: (i) The not-perfect correspondence between sediment boundaries of classification systems and boundaries derived from the clustering process; (ii) the geomorphological features of the seabed; and (iii) the position accuracy of samples. The study contributes to testing of the feasibility of objective methods and highlights the importance of joining acoustic, lithological, and geomorphological analysis. It highlights issues and the need to critically analyse the mapping results and improve the accuracy of collected data.

The prism of the Lignano tidal inlet was approximately constant over the last forty years, although the section width has halved. This has led to questions concerning the factors that most influence the tidal prism, and on the applicability of the well-known A–P relationship. A conceptual scheme of the sea–channel–lagoon system has been used to perform a sensitivity analysis of different parameters that characterize both the basin and the inlet cross-section. A 2D hydrodynamic model has been applied to evaluate the prism and compare it to the one derived by a static method, which is the basis of the analytical derivation of the A–P linkage. Three regimes have been found in the prism variability as a function of the basin extension: a linear static regime between prism and basin area; an asymptotic regime in which the prism depends only on the basin bottom friction; and an intermediate one. In addition, the roles of the inlet and channel sizes on the prism value have been investigated. The results, compared to the empirical relationships between the prism and the inlet cross-section, show that a variation in the cross-sectional area does not always corresponds to a change in tidal prism.

Tidal inlets along the central coast of Vietnam are located in a microtidal, wave-dominated coastal environment. In addition, the Vietnam coast is highly influenced by the seasonal monsoon regime, which is characterized by large northeast waves from October to March and calm southeast waves from April to September every year. Consequently, the tidal inlet entrance morphologies often suffer from a dynamic seasonal evolution due to distinct differences in the direction of wave-induced longshore sediment transport (LST) between the two monsoon seasons. The migration or closure of tidal inlets causes a lot of problems for socio-economic development in the region since these are the main reasons leading to an increase in the risk of coastal flooding and the obstruction of navigation. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the morphological evolutions of natural tidal inlets on the central coast of Vietnam using long-term remote sensing data sets and by the Delft3D numerical model. Surprisingly, the estimated LST rates from the former method are in an order of magnitude agreement with the results from the latter one for all of the areas in this study. Based on the conservation equation for sand and comprehensive data collection, a new simple empirical formula for predicting the sand spit elongation rate as a function of the sand spit width is developed. Although the breaching of sand spit might happen during an extreme flood event at some tidal inlets, the growth rate of the spit before and after the breaching is almost unchanged. These findings are very useful information for supporting the local coastal authorities to find better management solutions in terms of sustainable development.

The morphological evolution of a tidal inlet is the combined result of tides and wind waves, which interact in a non-linear manner and over very different time-scales. Likewise, the presence of maritime structures built in the vicinity of the tidal inlet, for coastal or port defense or to stabilize the inlet itself, can greatly affect this dynamic equilibrium, changing erosional and depositional patterns of the adjacent shoreline. In this study, the narrowing phenomenon of the Lignano tidal inlet subsequent to the construction of the related port, is examined through an integrated approach in order to propose and verify a possible form of evolution. This approach is the result of the combination of three methods: the historical reconstruction of the shifting of the coastline, an empirical scheme which describes the qualitative morphology of a mixed-energy tidal inlet, and a process-based morphodynamic modeling, which adopts a bi-dimensional depth averaged (2DH) approach. The application of numerical modeling has required the definition of a reduced input set of data representing an average year, in particular for wind and tidal conditions, including the meteorological component. The magnitude and the directions of the simulated dominant sediment transport are coherent with real processes both from a qualitative and a quantitative point of view.

Se estudió la geomorfología submarina y se efectuaron mediciones de corrientes de marea en el canal San Blas para determinar la dinámica sedimentaria actual. Se relevó un sector del fondo del canal con el sistema batimétrico GeoSwath para describir exhaustivamente la morfología de un campo de dunas. Su asimetría permite inferir un transporte residual del material del fondo hacia el interior de la Bahía Anegada sobre el veril NE del canal. Se realizó un estudio de la dinámica de las corrientes de marea, determinándose sus velocidades y direcciones durante un ciclo completo de marea en toda la columna de agua y a lo largo de un perfil transversal a la costa mediante un ADCP. A pesar que el ambiente corresponde a un régimen micromareal (rango de marea alrededor de 2 m), en el canal San Blas existen fuertes corrientes de marea que desde el sector medio transportan todo el material inconsolidado del fondo, formando un delta de reflujo en la boca externa del canal y un delta de flujo en la Bahía Anegada. Se reconocieron diferentes geoformas costeras que permiten inferir un transporte litoral hacia el exterior del canal sobre la costa sur del mismo. Basándose en sus características morfodinámicas, es posible definir el canal San Blas como una entrada de marea que conecta el mar abierto con la Bahía Anegada.The Bahía Anegada is the coastal zone of the southern part of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina), where several environments are recognized: islands, inlets, marshes, tidal plains and different types of beaches. The Bahía San Blas is located at the southern part of the Bahía Anegada, where the San Blas channel separates the mainland from an island (Fig. 1). The San Blas channel is 2.5 km wide and 12 km long. The study area has a tidal amplitude characterized by a mean of 1.62 m, being 2.20 and 0.58 m the high and low tide respectively. The present study shows the results of a bathymetric survey of the San Blas channel and an analysis of the behavior of the tidal currents that affect sediment transport and promote the generation of different bedforms. The aim of this study was to analyze the submarine geomorphology related to the dynamic conditions in order to characterize in detail the sedimentary conditions in this area. A detailed bathymetric study was conducted over a zone of 50 km², covering the San Blas channel, through a digital echosounder Bathy-500 positioned by DGPS operating in real time. Fifteen transversal tracks and three longitudinal tracks were made at the San Blas channel in order to obtain the necessary bathymetric profiles to make a bathymetric chart of the area. Over a zone of 1.5 km², characterized by a field of subaqueous dunes, a Phase Measuring Bathymetric System (FMBS), called swath bathymetry system "GeoSwath Plus" from GeoAcoustics Lt. (UK), was employed in order to determine the detailed dune morphology. This survey yielded details and disposition of the bedforms present on the channel bed with centimetric precision. Bottom sediment samples were collected and tidal currents were measured using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) mounted on a ship. The tidal currents were measured during a whole tidal cycle, obtaining the distribution of velocity and direction over the water column, on a track carried out transversally to the channel. These values were computed with the associated WinRiver software. The entire field work (bathymetry, sampling, FMBS and ADCP) was performed with the 6.5 m long boat IADO IV. The coastal features display geomorphological differences in response to a changing dynamic regimen along the channel (Fig. 2). Remarkable morphological and textural differences occur along the coast. Close to the mouth, a dissipative beach, with medium sand and a gentle slope is present. Mobile coastal dunes are common crowning the beach. Nearly the central part, the beach is steeper and composed of gravels developing then a reflective beach. Towards the north, in the inner part of the Bahía Anegada (north of Punta Ramirez), wave-cut platforms and marshes covered with Spartina alterniflora appear, sheltered by cliffs formed by deposits from the Río Negro Formation. The bathymetric map allows distinguishing the existence of significant changes in the morphology throughout the San Blas channel. Based on these differences, the area was divided into 4 zones (Fig. 3), each one with distinctive profiles (Fig. 4). Zones I and II are characterized by a 28 m-depth flat bottom, free of unconsolidated sediments and with steep flanks. These features allow establishing an analogy with a tidal throat. A subaqueous dune field, covering an area of more than 1.5 km², was found in Zone III. Zone IV is a shallow area where sand bars are exposed during low tide. The dune field was characterized by large dunes, with spacing between 40-80 m and heights of 2.5 m, identified at 21 m depth (Fig. 5). Higher dunes occur in deeper zones, reaching values of 4.5-5 m height at around 24 m depths. Most of the subaqueous dunes located on the southern portion of the dune field exhibit a symmetrical cross section and are covered by smaller bedforms of 0.3-1 m high and 0.7 to 0.9 m of spacing. On the other hand, dunes located on the northern side of the field are asymmetrical, with the steeper side towards the inner part of the channel. The mean grain size in the field dune is between medium and coarse sand (1.8 a 0.28 phi) that is in equilibrium with the strong velocities of tidal currents. The results obtained from the current measurements over a tidal cycle show that maximum velocities measured in the San Blas channel reached 2 m s-1 during flood and 1.8 m s-1 during ebb (Fig. 6). The maximum velocities of the flood currents were attained mainly on the northern flank and central part of the channel almost reaching the bottom. On the other hand, the maximum velocities of the ebb currents were found on the deepest site of the profile, on the southern flank, from mid-water up to the surface. At both ends of the channel, sand accumulates due to the reduction in the carrying capacity which leads to the formation of an ebb and a flood tidal deltas. The sand bars exposed in low tide in the inward shallow part in the Anegada Bay is the tidal flood delta formed by the loss in the sediment transport capacity caused by the widening of the channel section. This unconsolidated granular sediment is available to be transported by the tidal currents. Towards the outer part of the channel, the bathymetric map shows shallower depths while nautical charts confirm the presence of submarine bars at the entrance of the San Blas channel (Fig. 7). These bars might be evidence of the occurrence of an ebb tidal delta. The present study allowed concluding that the San Blas channel is a narrow strait between the mainland and an island, connecting the Anegada Bay with the outer sea and showing different submarine topography. Towards the mouth, the channel presents a flat bottom over 80% of its width, showing a U shape. The bottom is free of unconsolidated sediments due to the strong currents that wash away any loose material. The submarine topography of the San Blas channel corresponds very well with the tidal inlet significance.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being increasingly used to monitor topographic changes in coastal areas. Compared to Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data or Terrestrial Laser Scanning data, this solution is low-cost and easy to use, while allowing the production of a Digital Surface Model (DSM) with a similar accuracy. Three campaigns were carried out within a three-month period at a lagoon-inlet system (Bonne-Anse Bay, La Palmyre, France), with a flying wing (eBee) combined with a digital camera. Ground Control Points (GCPs), surveyed by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and post-processed by differential correction, allowed georeferencing DSMs. Using a photogrammetry process (Structure From Motion algorithm), DSMs and orthomosaics were produced. The DSM accuracy was assessed against the ellipsoidal height of a GNSS profile and Independent Control Points (ICPs) and the root mean square discrepancies were about 10 and 17 cm, respectively. Compared to traditional topographic surveys, this solution allows the accurate representation of bedforms with a wavelength of the order of 1 m and a height of 0.1 m. Finally, changes identified between both main campaigns revealed erosion/accretion areas and the progradation of a sandspit. These results open new perspectives to validate detailed morphological predictions or to parameterize bottom friction in coastal numerical models.

The spatial and temporal variability of the beach-line position at the tidal inlet of Punta Banda coastal lagoon in Baja California, Mexico, is described from the analysis of ten aerial photographs and two satellite images spanning from 1972 to 2003. The results showed that the maximum tidal inlet width (995 m) occurred in 1980. Changes observed from 1980 to 1985 suggest that the extraordinary sediment fluxes that occurred during the winter storms of 1977/78, 1980/81 and 1982/83 were the main source of sediment inducing the growth of the sediment structures that delimit the tidal inlet. By the end of 1985 a new sand bar appeared on the northern side of the tidal inlet and its formation is attributed to a reduction in the ebb and flood tidal intensity as a consequence of the combined effect of the increase in width of the tidal inlet in 1980, of the extraordinary supply of sediments and of the dominant northeast to southwest longshore sand transport. The net growth of the sand bar that shapes the southern side of the tidal inlet was 53 ha from 1978 to 2003, of which 26 ha are located in the inner part of the tidal inlet. This growth and consequent reduction of the tidal inlet could be the result of a reduction in the tidal prism produced by the great amount of sediments supplied to the coastal lagoon by storms and also by the reduction of the lagoon´s flushing capacity.

Se estudió la geomorfología submarina y se efectuaron mediciones de corrientes de marea en el canal San Blas para determinar la dinámica sedimentaria actual. Se relevó un sector del fondo del canal con el sistema batimétrico GeoSwath para describir exhaustivamente la morfología de un campo de dunas. Su asimetría permite inferir un transporte residual del material del fondo hacia el interior de la Bahía Anegada sobre el veril NE del canal. Se realizó un estudio de la dinámica de las corrientes de marea, determinándose sus velocidades y direcciones durante un ciclo completo de marea en toda la columna de agua y a lo largo de un perfil transversal a la costa mediante un ADCP. A pesar que el ambiente corresponde a un régimen micromareal (rango de marea alrededor de 2 m), en el canal San Blas existen fuertes corrientes de marea que desde el sector medio transportan todo el material inconsolidado del fondo, formando un delta de reflujo en la boca externa del canal y un delta de flujo en la Bahía Anegada. Se reconocieron diferentes geoformas costeras que permiten inferir un transporte litoral hacia el exterior del canal sobre la costa sur del mismo. Basándose en sus características morfodinámicas, es posible definir el canal San Blas como una entrada de marea que conecta el mar abierto con la Bahía Anegada.