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The long-distance transport of Yellow River sediments has formed an omega-shaped ('Ω') distal muddy deposit in the Yellow Sea. Numerous studies have investigated the sediment dynamics and sedimentary evolution of the deposit, but several key questions remain unanswered due to insufficient observations. To reveal the mechanisms of sediment dynamics and quantify sediment transport and deposition processes, this study collected field datasets in the depocenter of the muddy deposit off the Shandong Peninsula. Bottom mounted tripods were deployed from August 18 to 27, 2017, and from February 23 to March 2, 2018, during which two strong wind events with speeds of over 10.8 m/s occurred. The results showed that near-bed suspended sediment concentration responded directly to varying hydrodynamic conditions, and significant differences in suspended sediment concentration between two wind events could be ascribed to a number of factors (e.g., tidal current, wave periods, wind stress, turbulence). The harmonic analysis demonstrated that suspended sediment variations during the spring tide were directed mainly by resuspension, while resuspension and advection contributed equally at neap tide. The variations in background suspended sediment concentration can be ascribed to the residual current. Furthermore, the sediment transport pattern is similar to the pattern of water circulation. Generally, the along-shore suspended sediment flux is about one order of magnitude higher than the cross-shore flux. In summer, the suspended sediment was transported mainly downcoast. In winter, sediment was transported downcoast during wavy periods and upcoast during calm periods. Advection dominated sediment flux in most cases, except during wavy periods when local resuspension increased significantly, and the contribution of resuspension term to along-shore flux was up to 87%. Meanwhile, cross-shore flux also increased significantly under strong winds, which was simultaneously modulated by downcoast and offshore winds. After statistical analysis, we found that offshore winds controlled the cross-shore sediment transport in winter. Using parameterized calculation and statistical analysis, the average accumulation rate of the study site was estimated to be 0.6 cm/yr. During calm periods, lower background sediment concentration in summer led to lower deposition rates than in winter. In addition, the frequent strong wind events in winter cause extremely high erosion rates. This study provides new perspectives on quantitative variations in suspended sediment transport and regional erosion/deposition from synoptic to seasonal variations in the distal mud deposit. • In-situ observations at the bottom boundary layer were conducted in summer and winter on the muddy deposit off the Shandong Peninsula. • The advection dominates sediment flux in most cases, except for during wind gusts when local resuspension increases significantly. • Combining parameterized method and observational data, the accumulation rate is estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erosion rates along Alaska's Beaufort Sea coast, among the highest in the world, are negatively impacting communities, industrial and military infrastructure, and wildlife habitat. Decreasing maximal winter ice extent and increasing summer open water duration and extent in the Beaufort Sea may be making the coast more vulnerable to destructive storm waves than during recent, colder, icier decades. Previous studies of Beaufort Sea coastal change have been limited to subaerial analyses of the shoreline. Here we describe nearshore seafloor change by comparing post-World War II (WWII) (1945-53) bathymetry data to recently acquired (1985–2018) bathymetry data and relate the observed seafloor change to adjacent shoreline change near Utqiagvik, within Stefansson Sound, and immediately west of Barter Island and Kaktovik. Within the Utqiagvik region, seabed erosion was generally highest (>1.0 m of loss) offshore of Point Barrow and along the eastern end of the Tapkaluk Islands, while there were lesser amounts of deposition (<0.5 m of gain) within the protected waters of Elson Lagoon. Sedimentation was generally highest offshore of Point Barrow, in a region of converging currents, and on the landward side of the barrier islands and spits fronting Elson Lagoon, which is likely related to a regional trend of westerly sediment transport and landward migration of the barrier islands. Within Stefansson Sound, perhaps the most notable changes from post-WWII bathymetry data compared to recent data are a switch from mixed, low erosion and deposition in 1997 to low deposition (<0.5 m) in 2018 east of the Boulder Patch, a switch from low erosion in 1997 to neutral depth change in 2018 in the channel between the north and south Boulder Patch areas, and higher deposition from 1997 to 2018 landward of the rapidly retreating barrier islands along the Sound's northern border. At Barter Island, high erosion near north-facing shorelines and high deposition near west-facing shorelines generally matched shoreline changes. One of our goals is to identify possible processes responsible for the depth changes we quantified. Using simple metrics that relate sediment characteristics with modeled waves and non-wave induced currents, we show that sediment resuspension and transport by both wave and non-wave driven currents likely contribute to the overall patterns of change within the ∼13 m isobath along the open coast, and that the influence of wave action affecting sediment transport is expanding seaward. • Patterns of decadal-scale changes in shoreline positions and bathymetry indicate possible linkages within the nearshore. • Depth changes are additionally driven by sediment resuspension and transport by both wave and non-wave driven currents. • Wave action affecting sediment transport expanded seaward and deepened by as much as 15 cm/yr between 1979 and 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study a three-dimensional sediment transport model was developed. The model accounts for both current and wave forcing on the sediment and was implemented over the Gulf of Lions. A two-way nesting technique was used to focus on the Rhone River prodelta which is considered as a sink for riverine sediment. In addition, to understand the resuspension of trapped sediment over the Rhone prodelta, an in situ experiment, called SCOPE, was conducted during the winter 2007–2008. The experiment consisted of measuring hydro-sedimentary parameters using a mooring station comprising a current profiler (ADCP) and an altimeter (acoustic transducer) located in the eastern part of the Rhone prodelta. The three-dimensional transport model was validated using these data, and used to investigate the effect of sediment dynamics at the prodelta and Gulf of Lions scale. Both modelling and data analysis highlighted the impact of the two strong storms from the south-east which characterised the experimental period. Erosion of bed material (about 2cm) and an increase in suspended material (up to about 50–100mg/l) in the water were the result of each storm as recorded at the mooring station. The erosion capacity due to waves, combined with a strong current, due to both wind and wave forcing, resulted in strong south-westward export over the whole prodelta. Each storm was responsible for an off-prodelta export estimated at around 2.1Mt. This study demonstrates that the Rhone River sediments trapped over the Rhone prodelta are subject to strong resuspension during episodic events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Future shoreline changes on a sandy beach with a structure such as a jetty or groin can be estimated when wave time series is known (i.e. sequence of wave height, period, and direction). This paper presents an extension of an existing solution () for the linearized partial differential equation for shoreline change at an infinite jetty where waves are time varying and when the angle of the shoreline is small with respect to the waves breaking at the shoreline. The novel solution provided in this paper allows the previous constant wave condition solution to be extended to the case where wave properties (i.e. wave direction, wave height, and wave period) are time varying. Example usage of the method presented shows that shorelines may be of different final plan form shape for time varying wave conditions even though the sediment transport along adjacent beaches is not spatially varying (i.e. spatially constant) from time step to time step. Although this difference in shape may have been known previously using numerical models, it could not be proved analytically. Reversals of wave height, period, and direction time series are shown to provide different final shoreline shapes even though the time series consists of the same waves although in different ordered time. The solution provided will allow one line numerical shoreline models to be tested using an analytic solution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Appropriate descriptions of turbulence are important in predicting sediment transport and seabed evolution. We use here a three-dimensional model to investigate the impacts of sediment-induced stratification, erosion parameterization, and turbulence closures on sediment transport and morphological simulations. The model is implemented in the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System (POLCOMS), which couples a hydrodynamic model to the General Ocean Turbulence Model (GOTM) and to a sediment transport model. This sediment transport model calculates both suspended sediment concentrations and bed evolution. A large number of turbulence closures can be tested and we focus on the methods used to calculate the turbulent length scale and the stability functions. Different modelling scenarios are assessed against experimental data of velocity profiles, suspended sediment concentrations, and trench migration in a laboratory flume. Numerical results show that the processes investigated have little impact on the flow velocity profiles, in spite of some differences on the bed shear stress. The only exception is the one-equation turbulence closure, which cannot reproduce velocity profiles appropriately. Sediment-induced stratification, erosion parameterization, and turbulence closures can all have significant impacts on the suspended sediment concentration and the bed evolution. Model-data comparisons are found to be particularly sensitive to the method used to calculate the turbulent length scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Benthic trawlers, through the scraping of the upper layers of the seabed sediment, are responsible for major alterations to the distribution of suspended matter in coastal areas. A major trawling site in Greece is that of the Gulf of Thermaikos, located in the NW Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). In an attempt to assess, for the first time, the quantities of the mobilized sedimentary masses and the properties of their motion in the aquatic domain of the Gulf of Thermaikos, a mathematical model has been formulated. The modeling approach includes the determination of the mechanical erosion rate, the production of turbulence due to the flow through the mesh of the net and the physical processes that control the propagation of the generated sedimentary plume in the marine environment. In the absence of information regarding the haul paths in the gulf, their determination was made stochastically, based on the existing legislative restrictions and trawlers'' fishing practices. The trawling-activated masses thereby defined for the duration of the trawling period in the gulf were very high, indeed several times greater than the related contribution from the major rivers of the area, emphasizing the significance of the activity to the sedimentary input of the local marine environment. The total annual erosion by trawls in the gulf was calculated at 3.38×106 t/yr. Τhe mean mechanical erosion rate per trawled surface (parameter free from the bias raised by the stochastic simulation of the trawl trajectories) was estimated at 430g/m2, values directly comparable to ones defined for similar coastal areas. Results from a simulation of the 2001–02 trawling period were well correlated with in-situ measurements for the same period, while the investigation of the matter''s suspension level and times revealed that the matter exhibits low residence times in the water column and at the same time moves in the vicinity of the bed, contributing to the formation and distribution of benthic nepheloid layers in the gulf. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: 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 0.16Pa 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 4.8metrictonsm−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 ∼0.2mmyr−1 might occur in the region southeast of the outfalls. These rates are small compared to some estimates of background natural sedimentation rates (∼5mmyr−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. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Medium-term prediction of sediment transport and morphological behaviour in the coastal zone is becoming increasingly important as a result of human interference and changing environmental conditions. The interaction of waves and tides is shown to play a pivotal role in the net (annual) sediment transport and morphodynamics of the coastal zone. The Telemac Modelling System has been applied to the Dyfi Estuary and neighbouring coastline, mid Wales, to recreate the annual wave–current conditions and the resulting sediment fluxes. ‘Input reduction’ methods have been required to produce realistic schematisations of events in practical computation times. A field campaign carried out in 2006 provided data for validation of the flow module (Telemac-2D) and also observations to verify the patterns predicted by the wave module (Tomawac). To improve model accuracy refinements were implemented with regard to the sand transport formulation used in the sand transport module (Sisyphe). Here, a parameterisation of the results from the UWB 1DV sand transport ‘research’ model, for the conditions in the Dyfi Estuary, has been introduced, allowing Sisyphe to provide greater realism in the morphological predictions. The model predictions are presented along with a discussion of the success/failure and limitations of the modelling methods applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous work in the Gulf of Lions (western Mediterranean Sea) has suggested that significant amounts of sediment escape through the western part of this tectonically passive margin, despite it being far removed from the primary sediment source (the Rhone River, ∼160km to the NE). The primary mechanism behind this export is hypothesized to be the interaction of a regional, southwestward sediment-transport path with a canyon deeply incising the southwestern part of the shelf, Cap de Creus Canyon. To understand the pattern of off-shelf sediment export from the western Gulf of Lions, and more specifically, the role of Cap de Creus Canyon in this transport, box cores were collected within the canyon and on the adjacent shelf during five cruises from November 2003 to April 2005. Geochronology (210Pb-derived accumulation rates), grain-size distributions, and sedimentary structures (X-radiography) were analyzed to assess temporal and spatial sedimentation patterns. Results indicate two mid-shelf depocenters (30–90m water depth) in the northern and southern portions of the study area, separated by a zone of bypassing due to current acceleration around a headland (Cap Bear). Estimates of a sediment budget indicate that ∼6–8% of the sediment input to the Gulf is sequestered on the shelf region. Within the Cap de Creus Canyon, there is a significant spatial asymmetry in both grain size and accumulation rates. The northern flank is a modern depocenter of fine-grained sediments, while the southern flank is primarily non-depositional for mud and includes locations of apparent erosion. This suggests the influence of multiple oceanographic processes supplying sediment to the canyon: advection of nepheloid layers from the northern rim that provide a relatively continuous sediment supply (over decadal timescales), and episodic strong currents affecting the southern rim, which can scour sediment from the southern flank. The mid-depth thalweg has an ephemeral mud layer, overlying sand and consolidated mud. The mud layer appears to be flushed down canyon periodically. The canyon head contains coarse material, suggesting reworked sands may be entering. The 100-year sediment budget, based on accumulation rates for the fine-grained fraction in the upper canyon, indicates that ∼1% of the total sediment input to the Gulf is accumulating in upper Cap de Creus Canyon. However, this number may significantly underestimate the total sediment entering the canyon because water-column measurements show that sediment is likely moving through the upper canyon during major dense-water cascading events from the shelf and being deposited deeper in the canyon system. The ephemeral mud layer also indicates rapid deposition and frequent flushing of sediment through the upper canyon. Overall, this study shows that Cap de Creus Canyon is an active conduit of sediment past the shelf break, despite its location distal to the primary sediment source to the Gulf. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Shelf-to-canyon suspended sediment transport during major storms was studied at the southwestern end of the Gulf of Lions. Waves, near-bottom currents, temperature and water turbidity were measured on the inner shelf at 28-m water depth and in the Cap de Creus submarine canyon head at 300m depth from November 2003 to March 2004. Two major storm events producing waves H s>6m coming from the E–SE sector took place, the first on 3–4 December 2003 (max H s: 8.4m) and the second on 20–22 February 2004 (max H s: 7m). During these events, shelf water flowed downcanyon producing strong near-bottom currents on the canyon head due to storm-induced downwelling, which was enhanced by dense shelf water cascading in February 2004. These processes generated different pulses of downcanyon suspended sediment transport. During the peak of both storms, the highest waves and the increasing near-bottom currents resuspended sediment on the canyon head and the adjacent outer shelf causing the first downcanyon sediment transport pulses. The December event ended just after these first pulses, when the induced downwelling finished suddenly due to restoration of shelf water stratification. This event was too short to allow the sediment resuspended on the shallow shelf to reach the canyon head. In contrast, the February event, reinforced by dense shelf water cascading, was long enough to transfer resuspended sediment from shallow shelf areas to the canyon head in two different pulses at the end of the event. The downcanyon transport during these last two pulses was one order of magnitude higher than those during the December event and during the first pulses of the February event and accounted for more than half of the total downcanyon sediment transport during the fall 2003 and winter 2004 period. Major storm events, especially during winter vertical mixing periods, produce major episodes of shelf-to-canyon sediment transport at the southwestern end of the Gulf of Lions. Hydrographic structure and storm duration are important factors controlling off-shelf sediment transport during these events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low tide rainfall may represent an important but little studied process affecting sediment fluxes on intertidal mudflats. In this study, we simulated rainfall events on an intertidal mudflat (median grain size=18.4μm) of low slope (1 in 300) then quantified effects on sediment erodibility. Treatments consisted of a high (4.1mmmin−1 for 6min) and low (0.36mmmin−1 for 60min) rain intensity, chosen to match naturally occurring events and experiments were conducted seasonally (May and August) to encompass variations in ambient sediment stability. Changes in bed elevation due to rainfall were estimated using marked rods and sediment erodibility parameters (mass of sediment eroded at a flow velocity of 0.3ms−1 (ME-30, gm−2) and critical erosion velocity (U crit, ms−1)) were determined in annular flumes (bed area=0.17m2). Ambient/control sediment erodibility in May (ME-30=211gm−2, U crit=0.18ms−1) was higher than in August (ME-30=30gm−2, U crit=0.26ms−1) and was correlated with changes in biological activity. In May, surface sediment was influenced by high densities of the bioturbating snail Hydrobia ulvae (1736ind.m−2) and low biomass of the sediment stabilising microphytobenthos (5.7μgchlorophyll a cm−2). In contrast, in August H. ulvae densities were low (52ind.m−2) and microphytobenthic biomass higher (9.2μgchlorophyll a cm−2). The high rain treatment caused a decrease in bed elevation of between 1.5mm (May) and 4.4mm (August) and significantly reduced sediment organic content and microphytobenthic biomass. Rainfall increased sediment erodibility; compared to ambient sediments ME-30 increased by a factor of 1.4× in May and 8.8× in August and caused a 10–30% decline in U crit. The seasonal difference in treatment effect was due to the change in ambient sediment stability. The low rain treatment in August had no effect on bed elevation, microphytobenthic biomass or sediment erodibility. In May, the same treatment caused a reduction in bed elevation (0.5mm) and microphytobenthic biomass but counter-intuitively, a decrease in sediment erodibility (ME-30 was reduced by 40%, U crit increased by 5%) compared to controls. We attribute this result to removal by rainfall of easily eroded surface flocs and biogenic roughness which resulted in an underlying sediment with a smoother surface and greater resistant to erosion. Results suggest that high intensity rain events may destabilise intertidal sediments making them more susceptible to erosion by returning tidal currents and that the sediment eroded during such events may represent a considerable fraction (up to 25%) of the seasonal variation in shore elevation. The impact of natural rain events are likely to vary considerably due to variations in droplet size, intensity and duration and the interaction with ambient sediment stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigates the annual and inter-annual longshore transport at a high-energy dissipative beach (St. Trojan, SW Oléron Island, France), over the period 1997–2006. This study is divided in two parts: (1) a short-term study, based on field measurements carried out during, low, moderate and high-energy swell conditions, and permitting to calibrate a wave propagation model and both empirical longshore sediment transport formulas and a hydro-sedimentary numerical model; and (2) a long-term study, combining global optimization methods using WAVEWATCH III (WW3) model outputs and wave numerical modelling to define the nearshore wave climate and then to compute the annual and inter-annual longshore transport. A good agreement between the different methods was obtained and values for the annual longshore transport ranged from about 50,000±20,000m3/yr to 140,000±30,000m3/yr. The net annual longshore transport displayed an inter-annual variability, whereas values were always 3–10 times less than those proposed in previous studies. Such differences point out the necessity of calibrating empirical transport formulas and computing accurately the nearshore wave climate. The relatively low values for the net annual longshore transport were explained by a weak contribution of the most energetic swells, which systematically approach the shore with a frontal obliquity and also generate episodes of reverse transport. The methodology itself was also discussed, pointing out the limitations of this study but also the advantages of using WW3 data and simplified wave climates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sediment erosion results from hydrodynamic forcing, represented by the bottom shear stress (BSS), and from the erodability of the sediment, defined by the critical erosion shear stress and the erosion rate. Abundant literature has dealt with the effects of biological components on sediment erodability and concluded that sediment processes are highly sensitive to the biota. However, very few sediment transport models account for these effects. We provide some background on the computation of BSS, and on the classical erosion laws for fine sand and mud, followed by a brief review of biota effects with the aim of quantifying the latter into generic formulations, where applicable. The effects of macrophytes, microphytobenthos, and macrofauna are considered in succession. Marine vegetation enhances the bottom dissipation of current energy, but also reduces shear stress at the sediment–water interface, which can be significant when the shoot density is high. The microphytobenthos and secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) stabilise the sediment, and an increase of up to a factor of 5 can be assigned to the erosion threshold on muddy beds. However, the consequences with respect to the erosion rate are debatable since, once the protective biofilm is eroded, the underlying sediment probably has the same erosion behaviour as bare sediment. In addition, the development of benthic diatoms tends to be seasonal, so that stabilising effects are likely to be minimal in winter. Macrofaunal effects are characterised by extreme variability. For muddy sediments, destabilisation seems to be the general trend; this can become critical when benthic communities settle on consolidated sediments that would not be eroded if they remained bare. Biodeposition and bioresuspension fluxes are mentioned, for comparison with hydrodynamically induced erosion rates. Unlike the microphytobenthos, epifaunal benthic organisms create local roughness and are likely to change the BSS generated by the flow. In this paper, we attempt to describe state-of-the-art sediment transport models accounting for biological processes. Such applications generally demonstrate a clear effect of the biota on erosion/deposition, but morphodynamic coupling is rarely achieved. In the present study, a modelling exercise of this type was run, based on a cross-shore morphodynamic model of an intertidal mudflat [Waeles, B., Le Hir, P., Silva Jacinto, R., 2004. Modélisation morphodynamique cross-shore d’un estran vaseux. Comptes Rendus Geoscience 336, 1025–1033] in which the equilibrium profile of the intertidal flat under tide and wave forcing is simulated. A seasonal presence of the microphytobenthos in late spring and summer, represented by a fourfold increase in the erosion threshold, generates sediment level changes of about 5cm. However, these effects disappear in autumn and winter when the erosion threshold returns to its abiotic value, even when wave erosion is ignored. In contrast, the reduction of BSS in the upper flat to simulate the effect of a saltmarsh induces a spectacular seaward shift of the upper flat. The simulations show the strong, potential, long-term effect of vegetated beds, i.e. the protection of sediment from wave erosion. In contrast, local stabilisation by the microphytobenthos does not have a significant long-term effect. Some recommendations are given on the need to define experimental protocols for erosion tests and studies on biota effects. A stochastic approach is suggested to cope with the problem of patchiness and extreme variability of erodability patterns, combined with histograms of BSS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The stabilising effects of natural benthic diatom and bacterial assemblages on cohesive sediments were compared with those caused by physico-chemical binding alone. Cohesive sediment beds were reconstructed in 4 annular laboratory miniflumes, using sediment collected at 5–6m water depth from a local fjord. The sediment was left to stabilise (consolidate) for 1, 2, 5 and 10 days, before being fully resuspended in a series of erosion experiments. The flumes were aerated and subjected to different light/dark conditions; antibiotics were used to isolate diatom from bacteria effects. During consolidation, a constant current velocity was maintained, at a speed well below erosion threshold. ‘Natural’ sediment regained 27% of its original stability after 1 day, and 85% after 5 days. Complete ‘natural’ sediment stability was regained within 10 days. Benthic diatoms (mainly Nitzchia sp., Gyrosigma sp. and Pennales sp.) were responsible for about 80% of the biostabilisation, whilst bacteria contributed ∼12%, indicating the importance of light as a controlling factor for surface sediment stability. Relative to physico-chemical binding, the increase in erosion threshold induced by benthic diatoms was 120%, and by bacteria 20%. Where the assemblage consisted of both diatoms and bacteria, the increase was 150%, indicating that natural bed values are not a simple summation of the two effects, i.e. diatoms plus bacteria. Using the results, a first generation empirical relationship describing the relative contributions of microbenthic and physico-chemical factors in the development of erosion threshold is presented. Empirical relationships containing biostabilisation coefficients are important for better computer model predictions of sediment transport. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present a two-dimensional vertical (2DV) flow and morphological numerical model describing the behaviour of offshore sand waves. The model contains the 2DV shallow water equations, with a free water surface and a general bed load formula. The water movement is coupled to the sediment transport equation by a seabed evolution equation. Using this model, we investigate the evolution of sand waves in a marine environment. As a result, we find sand wave saturation for heights of 10–30% of the average water depth on a timescale of decades. The stabilization mechanism, causing sand waves to saturate, is found to be based on the balance between the shear stress at the seabed and the principle that sediment is transported more easily downhill than uphill. The migration rate of the sand waves decreases slightly during their evolution. For a unidirectional steady flow the sand waves become asymmetrical in the horizontal direction and for a unidirectional block current asymmetrical in the vertical. A sensitivity analysis showed the slope effect of the sediment transport plays an important role herein. Furthermore, the magnitude of the resistance at the seabed and the eddy viscosity influence both the timescale and height of sand waves. The order of magnitudes found of the time and spatial scales coincide with observations made in the southern bight of the North Sea, Japan and Spain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: 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 2m and period of 5s 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. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A volume-of-fluid Navier–Stokes solver (RIPPLE) was used to simulate inner surf and swash zone flow with a 3s wave period and wave height of 0.14m on a planar, 1:10 sloping beach (Iribarren number of 1.0). In addition to other hydrodynamic information, RIPPLE was used to provide high-resolution predictions of the pressure gradient and fluid velocity in the horizontal and vertical dimensions that served as forcing to a discrete particle model (DPM). Sediment transport processes in the inner surf and swash zones were simulated for a thin veneer of sediment particles over a 5m test section in the DPM. Coupling between RIPPLE and the DPM was one-way such that particle–particle and fluid–particle interactions in the DPM did not provide feedback to alter the flow predicted by RIPPLE. The numerical simulation showed strong sediment suspension localized under vortices that reach the bed. Interestingly, the bulk of the sediment located in the small-scale vortex originated from locations nearly 0.2m landward. These findings suggest that (1) sediment motion for a single swash event can be significant, (2) that sediment measured in suspension likely originates from locations other than the bed directly below the suspension plume suggesting the importance of sediment advection and (3) that sparse cross-shore measurements in the field will only sporadically capture localized suspension events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present work, the sediment transport rate in the swash zone is estimated using a Boussinesq model coupled with a porous flow model in order to incorporate the infiltration–exfiltration effects. The transport rate is estimated from a modified Meyer–Peter and Müller formula using different values the multiplier C for uprush and backwash to incorporate the observed higher transporting efficiency of the uprush due to the presence of pre-suspended sediment from the bore collapse. Alternatively, the depth-integrated transport equation for suspended sediment is solved. The comparison between model results and experimental data shows that both approaches are able to give satisfactory results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biogeochemical data from four sequential sediment traps deployed for one full year (April 1987–March 1988) at the shelf edge (200m isobath) of the Canadian Beaufort Sea are presented. In addition, multi-traps and Kenney traps, which collect material suspended near the bottom, provided data from the inner shelf for short intervals in spring and summer. A novel aspect of this work is the discrimination of biogenic and terrigenous contributions to the total carbon using a relationship between terrigenous carbon and aluminum (Al). The vertical flux in the Beaufort Sea derives primarily from three sources: marine biological production, the Mackenzie River Plume, and coastal and seabed erosion. The material trapped at all shelf edge sites was predominantly biogenic and the seasonal fluxes of both biogenic and terrigenous matter varied with geographical location. In open-water conditions, deposition of terrigenous material can be attributed at various times and places to (1) transport by the Mackenzie Plume to the shelf edge during freshet; (2) resuspension of sediment during north-westerly gales; and (3) erosion of steep coastlines during south-easterly gales followed by northward transport. On the west side of the shelf, the biogenic and terrigenous fluxes were highest in summer and were primarily influenced by the Mackenzie River freshet, increased solar flux, available nutrients, sea ice break-up, and water column stability. On the east side of the shelf, biogenic and terrigenous fluxes were highest in the fall and the most important controlling factors were the extensive open water, intense resuspension events accompanying storms from the northwest, and the flow of the fresh, warm, turbid waters of Mackenzie River to the northeast. There was strong evidence of sediment transport in mid-water and bottom layers, but the mechanisms involved cannot be inferred from this study. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, C/N ratios, biogenic silica, and chlorophyll a measurements help to distinguish between marine autotrophic production and heterotrophic production, of which the latter appears to dominate in the fall and continue beneath the ice into the polar night. Al and iron correlate strongly and are primarily associated with the terrigenous fraction whereas calcium and phosphorus have both terrestrial and biogenic associations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rippled scour depressions (RSDs) are distinct morphologic and textural features that have been observed in numerous nearshore environments as depressions containing coarse rippled sediments. The nature and significance of these features can be better understood with the use of multibeam sonar systems that acquire high-resolution bathymetry and co-registered backscatter intensity data and reveal both the small-scale characteristics of RSDs and larger-scale seabed patterns associated with them. In this paper, we compare RSDs identified in high-frequency (300kHz) multibeam sonar surveys on the inner shelves of southwest Washington, northern California and Long Island, New York. RSDs at these sites are evident as distinct features that are generally up to 1m deeper than the adjacent seabed and exhibit high acoustic backscatter intensity due to the presence of coarse sediments, typically gravel. Shore parallel oscillatory ripples (typically 1m wavelength) exist within the coarse material associated with RSDs and are attributed to wave-orbital motion. We propose a classification of RSDs based on their morphology and textural characteristics as well as the larger-scale seabed patterns associated with them, which together provide insight about the processes that affect their development and evolution. The RSDs described here are apparently the result of localized flow that can redistribute significant volumes of sediment in the nearshore zone under a range of energetic regimes over relatively short time scales. One type of linear shore-normal RSD always corresponds to larger-scale low-amplitude transverse bedforms that appear to be related to longshore currents. Some of these low-amplitude bedforms migrated as much as 50–150m over 2 years. Another type of elongate RSD, appears to be relatively stable over time, is characterized by bathymetric and textural asymmetry with one distinct upcurrent edge and one diffuse downcurrent edge, and is apparently a result of transverse flow. Other irregularly shaped nearshore RSDs that can be created and destroyed on time scales of less than 1 year, are the result of localized erosion and accretion of up to 1m, and are distributed rhythmically along-shore in water depths of 8–16m suggesting that they are related to hydrodynamics associated with the breaker zone. The characteristics of RSDs elucidated by high-frequency multibeam sonar data provide evidence of a variety of physical processes associated with RSDs and emphasize the importance of these features with respect to sediment transport on the inner shelf. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Predictions of nearshore depth evolution using process-based numerical simulation models contain inherent uncertainties owing to model structural deficiencies, measurement errors, and parameter uncertainty. This paper quantifies the parameter-induced predictive uncertainty of the cross-shore depth evolution model Unibest-TC by applying the Bayesian Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation methodology to modelling depth evolution at Egmond aan Zee (Netherlands). This methodology works with multiple sets of parameter values sampled uniformly in feasible parameter space and assigns a likelihood value to each parameter set. Acceptable simulations (i.e., based on parameter sets with a nonzero likelihood) were found for a wide range of parameter values owing to parameter interdependence and insensitivity. The 95% uncertainty prediction interval of bed levels after the 33 days prediction period was largest (0.5–1m) near the sandbar crests that characterize the Egmond depth profile, reducing to near-zero values in the sandbar troughs and the offshore area. The prediction interval built up during storms (when sediment transport rates are largest) and remained the same or even reduced slightly during less-energetic conditions. The prediction uncertainty ranges bracket the observations near the inner-bar crest, its seaward flank, and at the seaward flank of the outer bar, suggesting that elsewhere model structural errors (and, potentially, measurement errors) dominate over parameter errors. The interdependence and the non-Gaussian marginal posterior distribution functions of the free model parameters cast doubt on the ability of commonly applied multivariate normal distribution functions to estimate parameter uncertainty. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of sand bed experiments was carried out in the Large Wave Flume in Hannover, Germany as a component of the SISTEX99 experiment. The experiments focussed on the dynamic sediment response due to wave group forcing over a flat sand bed in order to improve understanding of cross-shore sediment transport mechanisms and determine sediment concentrations, fluxes and net transport rates under these conditions. Sediment concentrations were measured within the sheet flow layer (thickness in the order of 10 grain diameters) and in the suspension region (thickness in the order of centimetres). Within the sheet flow layer, the concentrations are highly coherent with the instantaneous near-bed velocities due to each wave within the wave group. However, in the suspension layer concentrations respond much more slowly to changes in near-bed velocity. At several centimetres above the bed, the suspended sediment concentrations vary on the time scale of the wave group, with a time delay relative to the peak wave within the wave group. The thickness of the sheet flow changes with time. It is strongly coherent with the wave forcing, and is not influenced by the history or sequence of the waves within the group. The velocity of the sediment was also measured within the sheet flow layer some of the time (during the larger wave crests of the group), and the velocity of the fluid was measured at several cm above the sheet flow layer. The grain velocity and concentration estimates can be combined to estimate the sediment flux. The estimates were found to be consistent with previous measurements under monochromatic waves. Under these conditions, without any significant mean current, the sediment flux within the sheet flow layer was found to greatly exceed the sediment flux in the suspension layer. As a result, net transport rates under wave groups are similar to those under monochromatic waves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

İzmir Bay, a microtidal bay in the eastern Aegean Sea, is an area of fine-grained sediment. The surficial sediments may be subdivided into seven zones based on their grain size. The western part of the outer bay is covered by silty and muddy sand, whilst the eastern part of the outer bay is covered with silt and mud. Most of the central bay is covered with sandy silt containing up to 50% carbonate and the area between the central and inner bay is floored by silt. Total organic carbon concentrations of the surface sediments vary between 0.40% and 3.12%, and increase in proportion to silt content. Accumulation of organic matter in the inner bay is probably produced by the inflow from raw sewage outfalls. The grain size trends are analyzed in conjunction with information on hydrodynamics, mineralogy and geochemistry, to derive sediment movement patterns. The pattern gives a preliminary idea of sediment transport directions together with the main areas of deposition and the possible dispersal patterns of contaminants in the İzmir Bay environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A process-based sediment transport model is presented that combines the knowledge of sediment transport in rivers and estuaries with the understanding of physical processes specific for the shelf seas. Due to formation of bottom Ekman spiral, the near-bottom current and hence the sediment transport deviate from the direction of surface current. The model takes into account velocity veering induced by Ekman spiral and estimates both direction and rate of transport of suspended particulate matter (SPM) generated by a steady or slowly varying current, through suspension, relocation and deposition of sediment in a shallow sea. The model uses a combination of analytical and numerical methods: analytical integration, in the vertical, and numerical integration, in the horizontal. The model predicts also vertical erosion/deposition fluxes at the seabed. The deviation angles and other parameters of SPM transport are computed for a range of water depths 5–50 m, particle settling velocities 0.1–6 cm/s, and current speeds 0.4–1.2 m/s. The model converges automatically to traditional engineering-style formulations, in extreme case of strong current in very shallow water, where velocity veering is of minor importance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conductivity–temperature–depth and transmissometer surveys were undertaken to investigate the characteristics and seasonal nature of intermediate nepheloid layers (INLs) over the outer shelf and upper slope of the northern California margin, near Eureka, CA. Observed INLs could generally be grouped into one of two categories: INLs that formed and spread seaward from the continental shelf, and INLs generated at continental slope depths greater than 150 m. Shelf INLs, forming between 70 and 150-m depth on the outer shelf and extending seaward 15–20 km past the shelf break, were prevalent during winter and early spring. Continental slope INLs were found during all seasons of the year. Their suspended particulate matter concentration was lower than that of the shelf INLs, and their horizontal extent was 3–7 km seaward from the slope. Mooring data from 450-m depth show strong bottom-trapped semidiurnal internal tidal energy and asymmetry between upslope and downslope semidiurnal motions, indicative of bore-like behavior. These analyses suggest that critical reflection of internal tides is a common feature of the outer continental slope in this region. The location of slope-depth INLs was often observed to coincide with regions where the topographic slope angle was critical for internal tide reflection. In addition, seasonal variability in the span of critical topography over the slope matches seasonal variability in the density of observed INLs over the continental slope. Slope-depth INLs appear to be associated with energetic tidal motions and interaction between internal tides and bathymetry, whereas shelf-depth INLs are likely formed by resuspension events on the outer shelf and subsequent transport offshore by mesoscale circulation processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For moderate Shields number flows, the characteristic minimum sediment transport prediction error is estimated to be of the order of a factor of 2, even in stationary and horizontally homogeneous flows over a flat bottom. For oscillatory flows over ripples the same error is judged to be comparable to a factor of 4.In actual flows when the flow, sediments and bottom shape have to be predicted, moderate estimation errors for the near bottom turbulent stress results in characteristic minimum sediment transport error that is probably at least of the order of a factor of 10.The equations for the large-scale average flow require nonstandard parameterizations of the smaller scale ripple flow and boundary conditions. Only weakly founded closure relations are available for this. The error of the large-scale sediment transport can therefore not be quantified without extensive data comparisons. As extrapolated from the simpler estimates, it appears plausible that it could be significantly larger than a factor of 10.When the sediment transport variability is large, both in reality and in models, many models can probably be adjusted to fit the few data available. This may not be relevant for judging the prediction accuracy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Boat traffic and resulting wakes are among the major human-mediated stressors on coastal ecosystems. Modulation of sediment transport by wakes and tides in an intertidal waterway with boat traffic is studied here. The hypothesis that boat wakes cause significant increases in sediment transport in intertidal settings is tested. Field observations of tides, currents, boat wakes and turbidity were collected on a transect within the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Northeast Florida, USA. Hydrodynamic and sediment processes were evaluated by analyzing this field data set. A daily average of 60 wake events of varying energies were identified in the observations using time-frequency analysis methods. Due to differences in sediment suspension in response to each wake and unpredictable evolution of the bed state, decomposition of the effects of each individual wake on sediment is not possible. Therefore, the sediment dynamics during the periods of boat activity were compared in their entirety with the sediment dynamics during the periods of boat inactivity. Throughout the experiment, all periods of boat activity had consistently greater suspended sediment concentration near the bed compared to their preceding and succeeding periods of boat inactivity. In the first eight days of the experiment where tidal forcing was relatively similar between boat activity and inactivity periods, sediment transport rates were estimated as 0.048 m3/m/hr and 0.043 m3/m/hr during boat activity and inactivity, respectively, indicating a 12% increase in sediment transport due to boat traffic. A larger increase in sediment transport rates during boat activity compared to boat inactivity occurred over the last three days of the experiment. Volumes of sediment transported in low-tide, mid-tide and high-tide during boat activity were greater than their low-tide, mid-tide and high-tide counterparts during boat inactivity. Therefore, the results confirm the earlier mentioned hypothesis. • Boat traffic increased sediment transport rate by 12%. • Sediment transport in low-tide, mid-tide, and high-tide during boat activity were greater than their low-tide, mid-tide, and high-tide counterparts during boat inactivity. • Boat wakes must be considered to manage wetland stability in high-traffic estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nam Dinh Coast is a constituent part of the dynamic coastline, belonging to the Red River Delta. It is bounded to the north and south by the Red and Day Rivers, with Ninh Co and So Rivers located in the middle. This coast has been undergoing severe erosion during the last hundred years. Over this period, vital agricultural area along the coastline has vanished into the sea and families have been forced to abandon their houses due to the erosive action of waves. Numerous studies were conducted to identify the major causes governing the erosion problems, and several hypotheses have been proposed. In the present work, remote sensing data analysis techniques with both optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) were employed to examine the hypothesis that land subsidence is contributing to the erosion along the Nam Dinh Coast. The results revealed that the high lateral erosion rates observed at sandy beaches between estuaries are approximately -6 m/yr in the south and -10 m/yr in the north of the So River. Meanwhile, sediments transported from the rivers accumulate mainly around the estuaries, leading to rapid accretions of approximately +93, +4, and +46 m/yr for Day, Ha Lan (So River), and Ba Lat (Red River), respectively. Simultaneously, land is sinking and uplifting at highly uneven rates, with a few sections subsiding 10 times faster than the overall spatial average. Uplifting observed in southern areas ranges from +1.2 to +1.9 mm/yr. In contrast, subsidence was identified in the northern parts, with mean rates varying from -0.1 to -12.3 mm/yr. Based on the Bruun Rule, the combined effects of land subsidence and relative sea level rise (SLR) could explain approximately 66% of the observed rate of erosion in the northern part of Ha Lan. Findings from surface deformation data contribute to a deeper insight into coastal erosion in Nam Dinh. • The erosion mechanism in the Nam Dinh Coast is not yet fully understood. • Combined use of SAR and optical images is applied to detect subsidence and to discuss its effect on coastal erosion. • Land is sinking and uplifting at highly uneven rates, varying from -21 to +2.5 mm/yr. • Combined effects of land subsidence and relative sea level rise contribute to 66% of the erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological evolution of large river deltas is highly vulnerable to extreme storm events due to insufficient sediment supply. As an abandoned delta lobe, the coasts along the northern Yellow River Delta (YRD) and Gudong Oil Field have recently suffered serious erosion due to extreme storm events and become increasingly vulnerable. In this study, a well validated and tested Delft 3D module by the observing hydrodynamic and sediment data to simulate the hydrodynamics and seabed erosion during a storm event in the littoral area of YRD. Observed wave, current and sediment data under both fair-weather and storm conditions were collected in the study area and used to validate the model. The results indicated that the model can reproduce well the hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes. A series of numerical experiments were carried out to examine the hydrodynamic changes and sediment transports. In the numerical experiment of normal condition, there is hardly any sediment transport off the YRD. The numerical experiment of storm condition showed that storms enhanced tidal residual currents, weakened tidal shear front, and significant wave heights up to 2 m, considerably intensified the sediment resuspension and dispersal. The local sediment resuspension due to the increased wave-induced bottom stress promoted the sediment plume to expand to the central area of Laizhou Bay, which seemed to provide sediment source for offshore and southward transport. During the storm, the active nearshore sediment resuspension provided sediment source for offshore and southward transport. The intensive dynamics and sediment transport under storm conditions caused significant changes in seabed erosion and siltation. The main erosion occurred off the Gudong and northern YRD, while the main siltation appeared in the central area of Laizhou Bay. No significant recovery after a storm and frequent strong winds have an accumulative effect on the erosion, which is very likely to dominate the erosive states of the YRD coast in the future. • Storm-induced energetic hydrodynamic forces intensify sediment resuspension and dispersal significantly. • Wave-induced bottom stress promotes sediment plume and enhances local resuspension. • Storms increase suspended sediment concentration and offshore sediment transport. • Storm-induced accumulative effect on seabed scour tends to cause long-term erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Measurements of erodibility, porosity and sediment size were made three times over the course of a year at sites within a muddy, mesotidal flat-channel complex in southern Willapa Bay, WA, to examine spatial and seasonal variations in sediment properties and transport potential. Average critical shear stress profiles, the metric we used for erodibility, were quantified using a power-law fit to cumulative eroded mass vs. shear stress for the flats and channel. Laboratory erosion measurements of deposits made from slurries of flat and channel sediment were used to quantify erodibility over consolidation time scales ranging from 6 to 96h. Erodibility of the tidal flats was consistently low, with spatial variability comparable to seasonal variability despite seasonal changes in biological activity. In contrast, channel-bed erodibility underwent large seasonal variations, with mobile sediment present in the channel thalweg during winter that was absent in the spring and summer, when channel-bed erodibility was low and comparable to that of the tidal flats. Sediment on the northern (left) channel flank was mobile in summer and winter, whereas sediment on the southern flank was not. Seasonal changes in channel-bed erodibility are sufficient to produce order-of-magnitude changes in suspended sediment concentrations during peak tidal flows. Porosity just below the sediment surface was the best predictor of erodibility in our study area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mixed sediments are constituted of cohesive and non-cohesive materials with distinct behaviours that numerical models traditionally manage separately. This paper first introduces a rapid state of the Art in sediment transport modelling in order to point out the specific requirements for process-based models applied to mixed sediments. Based on a preliminary study by , which showed the validity of the advection approach to compute fine sand transport, a complete modelling strategy is described: it is applied to the suspended transport of sand and mud mixtures, and accounts for consolidation of mixed sediments. Special care is paid to the realistic representation of the structure and density of sand and mud mixtures, and to the segregation in consolidating sediment layers. The model state variables are the different classes of particles, generally classified according to their size, and grouped into categories that are either transported as bedload or in suspension. The bed is described as thin layers characterised by a distribution of these classes. The erosion law for fine sands and for sand and mud mixtures is a function of the excess shear stress calibrated against measurements in a small flume. The transition between cohesive and non-cohesive behaviours is parameterised through a critical mud fraction that depends on the sand grain size: the coarser the sand, the higher the mud content before the sediment becomes cohesive. The consolidation module is based on Gibson equation formulated for each class, and modified to account for segregation. Constitutive relationships are calibrated by means of laboratory settling tests. In the deposition module, new deposits may be managed in different ways (creation of a new layer or integration into the existing surficial layer) depending on the mud fraction and its relative concentration. When deposited material is mixed with the surficial sediment, pores between coarser particles are first filled up with finer particles before increasing the layer thickness. The new modelling frame has first been used to simulate laboratory settling tests with mixed sediments. When the initial mixture density is low, sand particles can settle through the mud and form a dense sandy layer on the bottom. In a second application, the model is used to describe sorting processes when tidal currents re-suspend a sand and mud mixture. A sand layer is then likely to form within the sediment, while the surficial layers are muddier. A dynamic bed armouring process is shown: although sand is easily resuspended, eroded grains in the sand layer settle rapidly, reducing the erosion of underlying sediment. Resulting suspended sediment concentration is strongly reduced, as well as sediment fluxes. The application demonstrates the model ability to simulate layering processes and time-variations of sediment erodibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]