Search

Purpose. The paper is aimed at studying the morphodynamic features of the Bakalskaya Spit evolution being influenced by the sea wind waves and swell, namely assessment of inter-annual variations in the alluvial (erosion) areas of the Bakalskaya Spit coastline, analysis of inter-annual variability of the wind wave parameters, determination of the surface wave characteristics (or a combination of a few ones) responsible for the processes of the bottom material erosion or accumulation in the coastal zone. Methods and Results. Based on the analysis of satellite images for 1984–2016, the areas of the bottom material accumulation or erosion of the Bakalskaya Spit coastline were determined. Application of the spectral wave model permitted to obtain time series of the main parameters of wind waves and swell (significant wave heights and propagation directions) in the Bakalskaya Spit coastal zone with the 1 hr time resolution for the period from 1984 to 2016. The characteristics of surface waves responsible for the coastline deformation were revealed using the discriminant analysis. Conclusions. Analysis of satellite images of the spit made it possible to distinguish three periods in the history of the Bakalskaya Spit evolution: 1985–1997, 1998–2007 and 2007–2016. The first period was characterized by relative stability. The strongest erosion took place in 1998; after that the alluvial and erosion cases alternated for 10 years weakly tending to general erosion that constituted the second period. The third one that began in 2007 can be defined as the period of spit degradation accompanied by the irreversible loss of beach material. The basic parameters conditioning hydrodynamics of the Bakalskaya Spit water area are: total duration of storms; average and maximum values of significant heights of wind waves and swell. Statistical characteristics of the wind waves’ parameters are of a fairly strong inter-annual variability. According to the average and maximum indices, the wind waves directed close to the normal to the coastline (WSW and WNW) are the most developed. The applied discriminant analysis permitted to draw a statistically reliable conclusion that the direction of the final (average annual) wave impact on the coastal zone, conditioning the processes of sand accumulation or erosion was set by the waves directed to NNW, at that the swell contribution was dominant. The impact degree is conditioned by strong storms with the directions close to the normal to the coastline, namely, the WSW ones

Sandy beaches are often characterized by the presence of sand bars, whose characteristics (growth, migration speed, etc.) strongly depend on offshore wave conditions, such as wave height and angle of wave incidence. This study addresses the impact of a sinusoidally time-varying wave angle of incidence with different time-means on the saturation height, migration speed and longshore spacing of sand bars. Model results show that shore-transverse sand bars (so-called TBR bars) eventually develop under a time-varying wave angle. Depending on the time-mean, amplitude and period of the varying angle of wave incidence, the mean heights and mean migration speeds of the bars can be larger or smaller than their corresponding values in the case of time-invariant angles. Bars might not even form when the wave angle varies around a too large oblique mean value, whereas bars exist in the case of a time-invariant wave angle. The oscillations in both bar height and migration speed are large if the period of the time-varying wave angle is close to the adjustment timescale of the system and if large differences in the local growth and migration rates of the bars occur during one oscillation period. The oscillations in bar height are a combination of harmonics with the principal period and half the period of the time-varying wave angle, whereas those of migration speed contain only the principal period. Bars that are subject to time-varying wave angles have larger longshore crest-to-crest spacings than those which form under fixed wave angles. Physical explanations for these findings are given.

We propose a finite-volume model that aims at improving the ability of 2D numerical models to accurately predict the morphological evolution of sandy beds when subjected to transient flows like dam-breaks. This model solves shallow water and Exner equations with a weakly coupled approach while the fluxes at the interfaces of the cells are calculated thanks to a lateralized HLLC flux scheme. Besides describing the model, we ran it for four different test cases: a steady flow on an inclined bed leading to aggradation or degradation, a dam-break leading to high interaction between the flow and the bed, a dam-break with a symmetrical enlargement close to the gate and a dam-break in a channel with a 90° bend. The gathered results are discussed and compared to an existing fully coupled approach based on HLLC fluxes. Although both models equally perform regarding water levels, the weakly coupled model looks to better predict the bed evolution for the four test cases. In particular, its results are not affected by an excessive numerical diffusion encountered by the coupled model. Moreover, it usually better estimates the amplitudes of the maximum deposits and scours. It is also more stable when subject to high bed–flow interaction.

A chenier is a beach ridge, consisting of sand and/or shells, overlying a muddy substrate. In this paper, we explore the cross-shore dynamics of cheniers in their ‘active’ phase, i.e. the phase between their formation and their landing on the shore and can no longer be reached by daily wave and tidal influences. While cheniers described in literature are known to only migrate onshore until they reach a stable position with their crest level above tidal influences, observations in Demak suggest the existence of an alternative stable state, highly dynamic on the short term, but stable on the longer term. To explore this alternative stable state, we developed an idealised chenier model to investigate cross-shore chenier dynamics under daily wave and tidal influences. The model is able to predict both onshore and offshore migration; onshore migration is mainly driven by wave action, while offshore migration is induced by a tidal phase lag, or the effect of the storm season. For certain combinations of waves, tide (incl. phase lag) and a storm season effect, the model predicts a dynamically stable chenier. In absence of a phase lag and storm season effect, the model yields a ‘classic’ stable chenier that welds onto the shoreline by onshore migration.

This numerical modeling study (i) assesses the influence of the sediment erosion process on the sediment dynamics and subsequent morphological changes of a mixed-sediment environment, the macrotidal Seine estuary, when non-cohesive particles are dominant within bed mixtures (non-cohesive regime), and (ii) investigates respective contributions of bedload and suspended load in these dynamics. A three dimensional (3D) process-based morphodynamic model was set up and run under realistic forcings (including tide, waves, wind, and river discharge) during a 1-year period. Applying erosion homogeneously to bed sediment in the non-cohesive regime, i.e., average erosion parameters in the erosion law (especially the erodibility parameter, E0), leads to higher resuspension of fine sediment due to the presence of coarser fractions within mixtures, compared to the case of an independent treatment of erosion for each sediment class. This results in more pronounced horizontal sediment flux (two-fold increase for sand, +30% for mud) and erosion/deposition patterns (up to a two-fold increase in erosion over shoals, generally associated with some coarsening of bed sediment). Compared to observed bathymetric changes, more relevant erosion/deposition patterns are derived from the model when independent resuspension fluxes are considered in the non-cohesive regime. These results suggest that this kind of approach may be more relevant when local grain-size distributions become heterogeneous and multimodal for non-cohesive particles. Bedload transport appears to be a non-dominant but significant contributor to the sediment dynamics of the Seine Estuary mouth. The residual bedload flux represents, on average, between 17 and 38% of the suspended sand flux, its contribution generally increasing when bed sediment becomes coarser (can become dominant at specific locations). The average orientation of residual fluxes and erosion/deposition patterns caused by bedload generally follow those resulting from suspended sediment dynamics. Sediment mass budgets cumulated over the simulated year reveal a relative contribution of bedload to total mass budgets around 25% over large erosion areas of shoals, which can even become higher in sedimentation zones. However, bedload-induced dynamics can locally differ from the dynamics related to suspended load, resulting in specific residual transport, erosion/deposition patterns, and changes in seabed nature.

In this work, a new numerical model for cross-shore beach profile evolution, IH2VOF-SED, is developed. It consists in the bidirectional coupling of a 2D RANS hydrodynamic solver and a sediment transport module. The resulting model is extensively validated against three benchmark cases at different scales, attending to the hydrodynamics, bottom shear stress and bathymetry evolution. Comparisons between experimental and numerical results show a good agreement for both the flow variables and the seabed evolution in all the validation cases without making use of calibration parameters. Additionally, the qualitative analysis of the results is in accordance with previous experimental observations of sediment transport induced by breaking waves. The computational cost is greatly reduced to about 1/10 of other available RANS models. As a novel aspect regarding RANS models, the model is able to simulate the swash zone and changes in the position of the coastline. A good compromise between precision and computational cost is achieved, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the processes leading to the cross-shore profile evolution. The writers are grateful to Iván Cáceres (Polytechnic University of Catalunya) and Tom Baldock (University of Queensland) for providing experimental data for the validation cases. Also, to Moisés Álvarez Cuesta for performing the XBeach simulations. J. García-Maribona is indebted to the MECD (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spain) for the funding provided in the FPU (Formación del Profesorado Universitario) studentship (FPU17/04356). M. Maza is sincerely grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the funding provided in the grant Juan de la Cierva Incorporación (BOE de 27/10/2017). The work leading to this paper has been partially funded under the Retos Investigación 2018 (grant RTI2018-097014-B-I00) program of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

International audience; The morphological evolution of the Tagus estuary inlet in the last century is analyzed in order to characterize its dynamics, explain its behavior and anticipate its future evolution. First, the evolution is characterized through a literature review, complemented by new data analyses. This review synthesizes the present understanding of the inlet's dynamics and highlights some key questions that remain unanswered. To address these questions, a 2DH process-based morphodynamic model is implemented and validated, and then used to refine the previous understanding of the inlet's dynamics. A new conceptual model, which highlights a seasonal behaviour of the inlet's morphodynamics, is proposed. During winter time, the residual sediment transport is directed seaward along the navigation channel, towards the inlet mouth along the beaches adjacent to the inlet, and towards the estuary over the southern part of the ebb delta (Cachopo Sul). During the maritime summer, residual sediment fluxes are approximately half those occurring during winter. The relative importance of tidal flows increases, leading to sediment fluxes directed towards the southwest over the Cachopo Sul. The sediment deposits formed during the summer can be mobilized under specific wave conditions and transported to the northern stretch of the beaches to the south of the inlet. A positive feedback between the erosion of the Cachopo Sul-or, similarly, sea level rise-and the sediment fluxes over this bank suggests that the evolution of the bank observed during the last decades will continue in the foreseeable future.

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.

International audience; Field process measurements and OSL/AMS-dating methods were employed in combination to examine the Holocene evolution of the Keta Sand Spit, east of the Volta River delta in Ghana, as well as the hydrodynamic processes driving present spit dynamics. Large-scale changes in shoreline configuration, with far-field implications for sediment supply to downdrift coasts along the Bight of Benin, have been rooted in river mouth switches, which are dated at approximately 5–7000 yr BP and 2500 yr BP. The most recent barrier stage is the present Keta Sand Spit, which originated about 2500 yr BP. The spit migrates slowly in an easterly direction due to gradients in longshore sediment transport induced by morphodynamic interactions between wave-induced currents and shoreline orientation. These autochthonous longshore transport gradients are the major reason for the large coastal erosion rates in the lee of the Sand Spit, rather than a decreased sediment supply caused by damming of the Volta River.

By the late nineteenth century, the scientific study of bedload transport had emerged as an offshoot of hydraulics and geomorphology. Since then, computing bedload transport rates has attracted considerable attention, but whereas other environmental sciences have seen their predictive capacities grow over time, particularly thanks to increased computing power, engineers and scientists are unable to predict bedload transport rates to within better than one order of magnitude. Why have we failed to improve our predictive capacity to any significant degree? A commonly shared view is that the study of bedload transport has more in common with the earth sciences than hydraulics: bedload transport rates depend on many processes that vary nonlinearly, involve various time and space scales, and are interrelated to each other. All this makes it difficult to view bedload as merely particle transport in a turbulent flow – something which can be studied in the laboratory in isolation from the natural environment. Over the last two decades, more emphasis has been put on the noisy dynamics characterizing bedload transport. This Vision Paper makes a strong case for recognizing noise (e.g. bedload transport rate fluctuations) as an intrinsic feature of bedload transport. Improving our predictive capacities requires a better understanding of the origins and nature of noise in bedload transport. This paper also reviews some of the challenges that need to be addressed in current research and teaching.

Growth conditions and eco‐engineering effects of vegetation on local conditions in coastal environments have been extensively studied. However, interactions between salt marsh settling, growth, and mortality as a function of hydromorphology and eco‐engineering lack sufficient understanding to forecast morphological development of dynamic systems. We predict salt marsh establishment with an ecomorphodynamic model that accounts for literature‐based seasonal settling and life‐stage‐dependent growth and mortality of a generic salt marsh species. The model was coupled to a calibrated hydromorphodynamic model of an intertidal bar and, on a coarser grid, to the entire Western Scheldt estuary. To quantify the importance of eco‐engineering effects we compared the dynamic model results to a static model approach. The ecomorphodynamic model reproduces spatial pattern, cover, and growth trends over 15 years. The modeled vegetation cover emerges from the combination of a positive and a new negative eco‐engineering effect: vegetation reduces tidal flow strength facilitating plant survival while the developing salt marsh increases the hydroperiod, which limits large‐scale marsh expansion. The reproduced spatial gradient in vegetation density by our model is strongly correlated to their life‐stages, which underlines the importance of age‐dependence when modeling vegetation and for predictions of the stability of the marsh. Upscaling of the model to the entire estuary on a coarser grid gives implications for grid size‐dependent modeling of hydrodynamics and vegetation. In comparison with static model results, the eco‐engineering effects reduce vegetation cover, showing the importance of vegetation dynamics for predictions of salt marsh growth.

Tidal bars are repetitive estuarine bedforms with heights of several meters and wavelengths in the order 1–15 km. Understanding their formation and sensitivity to changes in channel characteristics is important as they hamper marine traffic and play a crucial role in the local ecosystem. Recent observations suggest that the local width of the channel is dominant in determining the tidal bar wavelength. However, theoretical studies could not reproduce the sensitivity of the tidal bar wavelength to channel width. This discrepancy between theory and observations suggests that a mechanism is missing. In this study, one of the theoretical models is extended and results in tidal bar wavelengths, lateral mode numbers, and growth rates that agree fairly well with those of natural tidal bars, including the wavelengths dependency on estuary width. An important extension of the model concerns the bed slope induced diffusive suspended load transport of sediments. With this, it is explained why previously, the modelled tidal bar wavelengths depend only weakly on estuary width and why in the extended model it does. This has, from a modelling point of view, general implications for morphological models using a total load sediment transport formulation with a so‐called bed slope parameter.

Results from computational morphodynamics modeling of coupled flow-bed-sediment systems are described for 10 applications as a review of recent advances in the field. Each of these applications is drawn from solvers included in the public-domain International River Interface Cooperative (iRIC) software package. For mesoscale river features such as bars, predictions of alternate and higher mode river bars are shown for flows with equilibrium sediment supply and for a single case of oversupplied sediment. For microscale bed features such as bedforms, computational results are shown for the development and evolution of two-dimensional bedforms using a simple closure-based two-dimensional model, for two- and three-dimensional ripples and dunes using a three-dimensional large-eddy simulation flow model coupled to a physics-based particle transport model, and for the development of bed streaks using a three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver with a simple sediment-transport treatment. Finally, macroscale or channel evolution treatments are used to examine the temporal development of meandering channels, a failure model for cantilevered banks, the effect of bank vegetation on channel width, the development of channel networks in tidal systems, and the evolution of bedrock channels. In all examples, computational morphodynamics results from iRIC solvers compare well to observations of natural bed morphology. For each of the three scales investigated here, brief suggestions for future work and potential research directions are offered.

Coastal foredunes are topographically high features that can reduce vulnerability to storm-related flooding hazards. While the dominant aeolian, hydrodynamic, and ecological processes leading to dune growth and erosion are fairly well-understood, predictive capabilities of spatial variations in dune evolution on management and engineering timescales (days to years) remain relatively poor. In this work, monthly high-resolution terrestrial lidar scans were used to quantify topographic and vegetation changes over a 2.5 year period along a micro-tidal intermediate beach and dune. Three-dimensional topographic changes to the coastal landscape were used to investigate the relative importance of environmental, ecological, and morphological factors in controlling spatial and temporal variability in foredune growth patterns at two 50 m alongshore stretches of coast. Despite being separated by only 700 m in the alongshore, the two sites evolved differently over the study period. The northern dune retreated landward and lost volume, whereas the southern dune prograded and vertically accreted. At the start of and throughout the study, the erosive site had steeper foredune faces with less overall vegetation coverage, and dune growth varied spatially and temporally within the site. Deposition occurred mainly at or behind the vegetated dune crest and primarily during periods with strong, oblique winds (&gt, &sim, 45 ∘ from shore normal). Minimal deposition was observed on the mostly bare-sand dune face, except where patchy vegetation was present. In contrast, the response of the accretive site was more spatially uniform, with growth focused on the heavily vegetated foredune face. The largest differences in dune response between the two sections of dunes occurred during the fall storm season, when each of the systems&rsquo, geomorphic and ecological properties modulated dune growth patterns. These findings highlight the complex eco-morphodynamic feedback controlling dune dynamics across a range of spatial scales.

Flash floods can cause great geomorphological changes in ephemeral fluvial systems and result in particularly severe damages for the unprepared population exposed to it. The flash flood in the Storelva river in Utvik (western Norway) on 24 July 2017 was witnessed and documented. This study assessed the causes and effects of the 2017 flood and provides valuable information for the calibration and validation of future modelling studies. The flooded area at peak discharge, maximum wetted and dry areas during the entire event, critical points and main flow paths were reconstructed using on-site and post-event (i) visual documentation, such as photographs and videos, and (ii) aerial surveying, such as orthophotographs and laser scanning, of the lowermost reach. The steep longitudinal slope together with the loose material forming the valley and riverbed contributed to a large amount of sediment transport during this extreme event. Steep rivers such as the Storelva river have very short response times to extreme hydrologic conditions, which calls for exhaustive monitoring and data collection in case of future events, as well as modelling tools that can emulate the hydro-morphodynamics observed during events such as the 2017 flash flood.

Coastal erosion at Saint Louis in Senegal is affecting the local population that consists of primarily fishermen communities in their housing and their access to the sea. This paper aims at quantifying urban beach erosion at Saint Louis, Senegal, West Africa which is located on the northern end of the 13 km long Langue de Barbarie sand spit. The coastal evolution is examined quantitatively over a yearly period using Pleiades sub-metric satellite imagery that allows for stereogrammetry to derive Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). The comparison with ground truth data shows sub-metric differences to the satellite DEMs. Despite its interest in remote areas and developing countries that cannot count on regular surveys, the accuracy of the satellite-derived topography is in the same order as the coastal change itself, which emphasizes its current limitations. These 3D data are combined with decades-long regular Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery derived shorelines. These observations reveal that the sand spit is stretching, narrowing at its Northern part while it is lengthening downdrift Southward, independently from climatological changes in the wave regime. A parametric model based on a stochastic cyclic sand spit behaviour allows for predicting the next northern opening of a breach and the urban erosion at Saint Louis.

Beach scarps are commonly associated with nourishment. Large and persistent beach scarps not only affect the performance of beach nourishment, but also are safety hazards to tourists. In this study, the morphological evolution of beach scarps was examined at a nourished beach in a low-energy and micro-tidal environment. Topographic surveys of nine beach profiles were carried out every 3–6 months after nourishment, lasting for nearly 4.5 years, combined with observed and simulated hydrodynamic data. The results showed that beach scarps were extensively developed after nourishment and migrated landward gradually. The formation of beach scarps was attributed to the higher designed berm, while the migration was possibly initiated by the subsequent higher total water level connected with the irregular tides. However, scarps were completely removed by the first post-nourishment severe storm and had been long absent ever since although two other energetic storms approached. This was different from the result of previous studies, which could be attributed to the much gentler upper beach slope. These results highlighted that the first post-nourishment storm played a key role in the evolution of beach scarps at low-energy and micro-tidal nourished beaches. This study also proposed two methods of determining berm elevation in beach nourishment according to China’s experiences, which would be helpful for other countries’ beach nourishment projects.

The morphodynamic behaviour of low-energy beaches is poorly understood, compared to that of exposed coasts. This study analyses the morphological development of sandy, low-energy beaches and the steering hydrodynamic processes. Four densely-monitored study sites in the non-tidal lake Markermeer in the Netherlands offered a unique opportunity to examine the relation between their hydraulic boundary conditions and morphodynamics. Regular bathymetric surveys were executed at all locations. Furthermore, the wave climate was monitored at one of these four sites. All four sites exhibit a commonly found low-energy beach morphology, with a narrow beach face and a low-gradient, subaqueous platform. This platform reaches an equilibrium depth quickly and then stays relatively stable. The stable elevation of the platform is located near Hallermeier's depth of closure. A sediment budget analysis over time demonstrates that the beach faces at all study sites have eroded during more energetic periods, and sediment accumulated offshore. During the monitoring periods of 2 to 4 years, the elevation of the platforms reached an equilibrium, but other morphological dimensions are still developing. The new insights gained from this study enable the prediction of platform elevations along sandy beaches in low-energy, non-tidal environments, and have contributed to our insight in the underlying processes driving the morphological evolution.

Human interventions and climate change can heavily influence the large-scale morphological development of tidal basins. This has implications on sediment management strategies, as well as ecological and recreational purposes. Examples of heavily impacted tidal basins are those in the Western Dutch Wadden Sea. The closure of a large sub-basin in 1932 triggered a shift in the sediment budgets of the remaining basins, leading to sediment infilling that is still ongoing. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the post-closure sediment volumes, differentiating between sand and mud. Analysis of historical sediment composition data combined with bathymetry data revealed that the intervention caused a redistribution of sand and mud sedimentation. The responses of both sediment types differ spatially and temporally. The total infilling of the basins over the last century was substantially caused by mud (~32%, which is much larger than the average mud content in the bed). Initially, large mud volumes accreted in abandoned channels. At present, mud sedimentation along the mainland coast is still ongoing with nearly constant sedimentation rates over the past century, while the net import of sand significantly decreased over time and has been fluctuating around 0 over the last two decades. This research shows the importance of distinguishing between the response of sandy and muddy sediments when analysing the morphodynamic impact of an intervention, since they operate on different time and spatial scales. Sea level rise is currently a major threat for the existence of the Wadden Sea; its future fate will depend on whether the tidal flats are able to keep pace. Our results show that the supply of mud is sufficient to keep pace with the current sea level rise rates.

Underwater dunes are a morphological feature that are explored by marine scientists and coastal engineers alike. This study presents new methodologies in order to simplify bedform identification and morphodynamic analyses. Specifically, subaqueous compound dunes are decomposed with a simple yet extensive tracking algorithm, which relies on a repeated evaluation of unfiltered bed elevation profiles according to five predefined length classes. In a second step, morphological trends are assessed in the form of bed migration rates, bed slope asymmetries and net sediment changes, in which all parameters are referred to equidistant sections of the examined fairway stretch. This integrated approach not only avoids the challenges in weighting the varying size and abundance of dunes of different scales but also ensures comparability between dune-specific and areal parameters, which significantly improves the interpretation of the morphological setting as a whole. The developed methods are applied to the Outer Jade fairway, an anthropogenically influenced and regularly maintained waterway in the German Bight, and allow scrutiny of spatio-temporal trends in this region. Based on a unique data set of 100 sequential high-quality echo-sounding surveys, various types of bedforms are identified, comprising large-scale primary as well as superimposing secondary dunes that are assumed to interfere with each other. Temporal trends show a long-term rise of the troughs of major bedforms and constant maximum crest elevations near the official maintenance depth, which matches the observed long-term aggradation of sediments. The spatial distribution of integrated morphodynamic parameters reflects a previously described zone of primary dune convergence and facilitates the precise localization of this geophysical singularity. The presented findings both confirm the robustness of the proposed methodologies and, in return, enhance the understanding of morphological processes in the Outer Jade. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Coastal dunes have global importance as ecological habitats, recreational areas, and vital natural coastal protection. Dunes evolve due to variations in the supply and removal of sediment via both wind and waves, and on stabilization through vegetation colonization and growth. One aspect of dune evolution that is poorly understood is the longshore variation in dune response to morphodynamic forcing, which can occur over small spatial scales. In this paper, a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is used to measure the longshore variation in evolution of a dune system in a megatidal environment. Dune sections to the east and west of the study site are prograding whereas the central portion is static or eroding. The measured variation in dune response is compared to mesoscale intertidal bar migration and short-term measurements of longshore variation in wave characteristics during two storms. Intertidal sand bar migration is measured using satellite imagery: crescentic intertidal bars are present in front of the accreting portion of the beach to the west and migrate onshore at a rate of 0.1–0.2 m/day; episodically the eastern end of the bar detaches from the main bar and migrates eastward to attach near the eastern end of the study area; bypassing the central eroding section. Statistically significant longshore variation in intertidal wave heights were measured using beachface mounted pressure transducers: the largest significant wave heights are found in front of the dune section suffering erosion. Spectral differences were noted with more narrow-banded spectra in this area but differences are not statistically significant. These observations demonstrate the importance of three-dimensionality in intertidal beach morphology on longshore variation in dune evolution; both through longshore variation in onshore sediment supply and through causing longshore variation in near-dune significant wave heights.

The lower shoreface provides the connection between the continental shelf and the shoreline via its onshore transition called the upper shoreface. Lower shorefaces are diverse, and range from bedrock-controlled, through sediment-starved to sediment-rich, siliciclastic, carbonate, low to high wave-energy, microtidal to macrotidal, and are variably affected by storm and wind-driven flows. The lower shoreface can be a repository for deposits of terrestrial origin, and a zone of active carbonate production. It can therefore be an important source of sediment for beaches, dunes, estuaries, and tidal basins. There has been progress in the ability to predict suspended sediment transport under non-breaking and shoaling waves across the lower shoreface. However, high-resolution measurement of sediment transport over unknown seabed configurations with unpredictable bed-level changes under hydrodynamic conditions that are unknown at the outset, and especially involving bedload transport, is still faced with significant challenges. Non-linear interactions between processes contributing to sediment transport render calculations and modelling of transport directions and magnitudes uncertain, and the spatial and temporal scales of transport are much larger than those of the upper shoreface. On the other hand, transport rates and morphological change may be much smaller on the lower shoreface compared to the upper shoreface. Another challenge is the upscaling of short-term measurements to explain the long-term morphological evolution of the lower shoreface. This limited understanding implies that current paradigms of lower shoreface dynamics based on morphological equilibrium and disequilibrium relative to the ocean-forcing conditions may be too simplistic, though possibly appropriate over long timescales (decades to millennia), and modelling work and prediction of change no more than exploratory. Over such long timescales, boundary conditions (sea level, wave climate) are likely to change. Making way forward on these issues is important for understanding the connectivity between the lower shoreface and beach recovery after major storm erosion, and for estimating coastal sediment budgets, short- to long-term coastal change and response to natural and anthropogenic perturbations. At geological timescales, the lower shoreface is a central element in tracking shoreline changes. Progress is needed in measuring sediment transport and upscaling to timescales compatible with lower shoreface change. It is also important to take advantage of on-going rapid progress in seabed and shallow stratigraphic mapping, bed-level changes, including remote-sensing approaches, for a better understanding of lower shoreface morphodynamics and sediment connectivity with the coast. This includes the now routine identification of large subaqueous bedforms, possibly ubiquitous features on the world's continental shelves, their mobility over time, and their potential link with the shoreline. The common relationship between fine sand, dissipative beaches and large aeolian dunes also poses the question of how fine sand is abundantly supplied from the lower shoreface, given the common perception that it is readily swept offshore on beaches. These multi-theme challenges need to be addressed in order to advance our understanding of the lower shoreface and its connectivity with the upper shoreface and beach.

A debate has called into question as to which fluvial channel patterns are most widely represented in the stratigraphic record, with some advocating that distributive fluvial systems (DFS) predominate and others that a broad diversity of fluvial styles may become preserved. Critical to both sides is the adequate recognition of original channel planform from geological outcrops separated from their formative processes by millions or even billions of years. In this study the river and rock record are linked through experimentally created DFSs with both aggrading channel beds and floodplains. This approach allows depositing processes and deposited strata to be studied in tandem. Proximal areas comprise coarse, amalgamated channel‐fills with scarce fine‐grained floodplain material. The overall spread of sandbody dimensions become far more varied in medial stretches, with an overall reduction in mean width and depth. In these areas channel‐fills may be sand‐rich or mud‐rich and, following avulsion, all channels are covered by floodplain sediment. Channels, levees and splays form discrete depositional bodies each with varying aspect ratios; a novel breadth of deposits and morphologies in aggrading experiments largely concurrent with proposed trends indicative of DFSs. The proportion of floodplain material increases distally, resulting in decreased interconnectedness of distal channel‐fills. Muddy floodplain sediments significantly change DFSs behaviour and subsequent stratigraphic architecture by enhancing bank stability and reducing avulsion through the filling of floodbasins. The laboratory methods utilised here open up the possibility of controlled experimentation on the effects and mechanisms of DFSs sedimentation, which is important since the modelled stratigraphic trends are rarely so tractable in ancient geological outcrop belts.

We performed laboratory experiments to describe and quantify the transport of sediment and the changes in the bed due to a generic translating monopolar vortex. Experiments were performed inside a water‐filled, square tank with a particle bed on the bottom and a vertical plate attached perpendicular to one of the sidewalls. The tank was placed on top of a rotating table to create the vortex by changing its rotation rate. This change created a current inside the tank that separated at the edge of the vertical plate, with the shear layer rolling up into a vortex. Once the vortex was formed, the table was promptly stopped. Sediment particles are brought into suspension and captured by the vortex, forming a conical region that moves with the vortex until the sediment resettles in the bed, changing the original bed morphology. Three different measurement techniques were used to obtain information about the flow velocities, the sediment in suspension, and the net changes in the bed. Changes in the bed morphology occur along the trajectory of the vortex, where a region of erosion is followed by a region of deposition. The strength of a vortex is the main parameter governing the capture and suspension of particles with similar characteristics. A power law relationship is found between the vortex strength and the net displaced particle volume. Experiments were also performed without sediment to determine if the presence of sediment could affect the vortex dynamics. However, a definitive answer requires more experiments to obtain reliable statistics.

Constraining the avulsion dynamics of rivers and submarine channels is essential for predicting the distribution of sediment, organic matter, and pollutants in alluvial, deltaic, and submarine settings. We create a geometric channel-belt framework relating channel, levee, and floodplain stratigraphy that allows comparative analysis of avulsion dynamics for rivers and submarine channels. We utilize 52 channel-overbank cross-sections within this framework to provide avulsion criteria for submarine channels, and how they differ from rivers. Superelevation and a new channel-floodplain coupling metric are two key parameters that control channel-belt thickness in both rivers and submarine channels. While rivers only superelevate 1 channel depth above the floodplain prior to avulsion, submarine channels are more stable during aggradation, with superelevation values commonly > 3 channel depths. Additionally, channel-floodplain coupling in rivers is often weak, with floodplain aggradation negligible compared to channel aggradation, making rivers avulsion-prone. However, floodplain aggradation is more significant for submarine channels, resulting in stronger channel-floodplain coupling and thus a decreased potential for avulsion. The combination of enhanced superelevation and strong channel-floodplain coupling results in submarine channel-belts that can be as thick as ∼10 channel depths, while fluvial channel belts are limited to 2 channel depths. Submarine channels are more stable because turbidity currents have ∼50x lower density contrast between flow and ambient fluid as compared to rivers. This density contrast creates far less potential energy for avulsion, despite the much greater relief of submarine levees compared to fluvial levees. The modern Amazon submarine channel showcases this stability, with a channel belt that is ∼5 channel-depths thick for more than 400 streamwise km, which is more than twice the superelevation that a river is capable of. We interpret that enhanced floodplain aggradation and levee aggradation (and thus superelevation) in submarine channel belts are promoted by unique submarine flow characteristics, including turbidity current overspill, flow-stripping, and hemipelagic processes. We emphasize that rivers and submarine channels display very different avulsion dynamics and frequencies, profoundly affecting the stratigraphic architecture of channel-belt and downstream distributary deposits.

Benshila, R.; Thoumyre, G.; Al Najar, M.; Absessolo, G.; Almar, R.; Bergsma, E.; Hugonnard, G.; Labracherie, L.; Lavie, B.; Ragonneau, T.; Simon, E.; Vieuble, B., and Wilson D., 2020. A deep learning approach for estimation of the nearshore bathymetry. In: Malvarez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 1011-1015. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Bathymetry is an important factor in determining wave and current transformation in coastal and surface areas but is often poorly understood. However, its knowledge is crucial for hydro-morphodynamic forecasting and monitoring. Available for a long time only via in-situ measurement, the advent of video and satellite imagery has allowed the emergence of inversion methods from surface observations. With the advent of methods and architectures adapted to big data, a treatment via a deep learning approach seems now promising. This article provides a first overview of such possibilities with synthetic cases and its potential application on a real case.

To relate hydrodynamic forcing and topographic response for a tide-dominated sandy beach, extensive field measurements were carried out in the intertidal zone. Hydrodynamics and beach topography were monitored during a total of 12 weeks at two different study sites: one with a featureless intertidal zone and one with intertidal bars. The results of both study sites indicate that the intertidal beach grows when wave steepness is small, whereas it erodes when wave steepness is large. Spring-neap variations in tidal current direction heavily distort this trend: strong spring tidal currents transport sediment away from the beach, resulting in enhanced erosion. Tide-induced beach volume changes are on the same order of magnitude as wave-induced changes. Besides waves and tides, the effect of variations in the amount of sediment supply is substantial, with enhanced accretion when the sediment supply is large. The effect of variations in sediment supply on the intertidal beach topography is subordinate to the effect of waves and tide, though. From this study, it is concluded that larger waves are primarily erosive, but they can also enhance the natural sediment supply. Furthermore, it is found that tidal currents can be equally important as waves in shaping the beach topography, especially during spring tide on macrotidal beaches.

The article concerns the issue of using imagery reconnaissance sensors for the identification of geological-engineering conditions in river channels, in the aspect of evaluating the forcing of a water obstacle. It discusses the issues associated with using air platforms (manned and unmanned) in remote sensing surveying of selected fragments of the Vistula and Bug river channels and the correct interpretation of the obtained results, through their verification using bathymetric tests conducted directly in the river channels.

Morphodynamics of world's river deltas are increasingly affected by human activities, which are of great ecological, economic and social implications. However, impacts of human interventions in deltaic regions are insufficientlyunderstood, especially superimposed upon diminishing sediment supplies. This study uses the heavily interfered Yangtze River delta as an example to address this issue. The morphodynamic impacts of the Deepwater Navigation Channel Project (DNCP) during 1997–2013 are investigated through process-basedmodeling approach (Delft3D) and bathymetric data analysis. The DNCP was implemented in the mouth bar area of the Yangtze River delta including the twin dikes and 19 groynes with the total length of 132.0 km. Hydrodynamic simulations indicate that the training walls resulted in weaker tidal flow and longer slack period at the East Hengsha Shoal (EHS) and stronger tidal flow at the subaqueous delta. Thus, the EHS is characterized as a sediment accumulation zone after the completion of the training walls. Subsequently, morphologicalmodeling shows enhanced accretion at the EHS and enhanced erosion at the subaqueous delta when the training walls are taken into account. Numerical experiments further demonstrate that the above changes are mainly attributed to the seaward half of the northern training walls constructed in 2002–2005. This is probably the reason for the observed accretion peak of the EHS in 2002–2007 and the gradual increase in the erosion rate of the subaqueous delta after 2002. The schematized paths of sediment transport after the DNCP indicate thatsediment eroded from the subaqueous delta serves as an important source for accretion of the mouth bar area. It is suggested that siltation promoting projects within the mouth bar area increased shallow shoal accretion and aggravated erosion at the subaqueous delta. With the overall erosion of the Yangtze River delta due to river sediment reduction, large-scale estuarine engineering projects substantially increase the complicacy of its morphodynamic pattern, which merits close attention for sustainable delta management.

California's sandy shorelines are important resources in terms of ecological habitat, recreation and tourism, and aesthetic beauty. They also serve as important natural buffers, often protecting back-beach development and infrastructure from wave attack. Encroachment or fixing of the back beach in conjunction with sea-level rise will reduce the accommodation space of beaches and subsequently increase the vulnerability of the back beach to extreme water level events associated with storms. Understanding the present state of California's sandy shorelines in terms of landward migration potential, vulnerability to extreme water events, and local morphodynamic variability is important for coastal policymakers and managers to make informed decisions regarding the future of the California coastline. In this study, the landward migration potential of California's beaches was assessed through a statewide cataloging and classification of all sandy shorelines in the context of back beach immobility and restrictions to landward migration. Beach inundation vulnerability from increased frequency of high water events with rising sea level was determined with extreme water level exceedance distributions from historic tide gauge records and sea-level rise projections of 18 cm, 79 cm, and 140 cm by 2100. Finally, alongshore variability and the influence of high wave events and berm overtopping on beach profile morphodynamics were analyzed through seasonal beach surveying of a coastal lagoon pocket beach. Fifty-eight percent of the total length of sandy shoreline in California is restricted in the back beach from landward migration. This is primarily due (in Central and Southern California) to anthropogenic coastal development and infrastructure. Beach inundation potential from extreme high water events is highly variable and is a function of berm height and backshore morphology. Backshore morphology influences foreshore and berm morphodynamics by modifying swash sediment transport. The growth and persistence of a berm on a bar-built coastal lagoon beach is dependent on berm overtopping; however, overtopping beyond a threshold frequency becomes destructive and can lead to berm erosion. While statewide more than half of California's sandy shorelines are being threatened by reduced accommodation space through terrestrial and marine encroachment, understanding local variability is essential for determining the future of these highly valued resources.

The widespread distribution of tidal creeks and channels that undertake meandering behaviour in modern coasts contrasts with their limited documentation in the fossil record, where point-bar elements arising from the interaction between a mix of both fluvial and tidal currents are mainly documented. The sedimentary products of tidal-channel bend evolution are relatively poorly known, and few studies have focused previously on specific facies models for tidal point bars present in modern settings. The present study improves understanding of tidal-channel meander bends through a multidisciplinary approach that combines analyses of historical aerial photographs, measurements of in-channel flow velocity, high-resolution facies analyses of sedimentary cores and three-dimensional architectural modelling. The studied channel bend (12 to 15 m wide and 2 to 3 m deep) drains a salt-marsh area located in the north-eastern sector of the microtidal Venice Lagoon, Italy. Historical photographs show that, during the past 77 years, the bend has translated seaward ca 15 m. Results show that the channel bend formed on a non-vegetated mud flat that was progressively colonized by vegetation. Seaward translation occurred under aggradational conditions, with an overall migration rate of 0.2 to 0.3 m/year, and was promoted by the occurrence of cohesive, poorly erodible outer bank deposits. Ebb currents are dominant, and translation of the channel bend promotes erosion and deposition along the landward and seaward side of the bar, respectively. Tidal currents show a clear asymmetry in terms of velocity distribution, and their offset pattern provides a peculiar grain-size distribution within the bar. During the flood stage, sand sedimentation occurs in the upper part of the bar, where the maximum flow velocity occurs. During the ebb stage, the bar experiences the secondary helical flow that accumulates sand at the toe of the bar. Lateral stacking of flood and ebb deposits has caused the formation of localized coarsening-upward and fining-upward sedimentary packages, respectively. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Net sediment transport in tidal basins is a subtle imbalance between large fluxes produced by the flood/ebb alternation. The imbalance arises from several mechanisms of suspended transport. Lag effects and tidal asymmetries are regarded as dominant, but defined in different frames of reference (Lagrangian and Eulerian, respectively). A quantitative ranking of their effectiveness is therefore missing. Furthermore, although wind waves are recognized as crucial for tidal flats' morphodynamics, a systematic analysis of the interaction with tidal mechanisms has not been carried out so far. We review the tide-induced barotropic mechanisms and discuss the shortcomings of their current classification for numerical process-based models. Hence, we conceive a unified Eulerian framework accounting for wave-induced resuspension. A new methodology is proposed to decompose the sediment fluxes accordingly, which is applicable without needing (semi-) analytical approximations. The approach is tested with a one-dimensional model of the Vlie basin, Wadden Sea (The Netherlands). Results show that lag-driven transport is dominant for the finer fractions (silt and mud). In absence of waves, net sediment fluxes are landward and spatial (advective) lag effects are dominant. In presence of waves, sediment can be exported from the tidal flats and temporal (local) lag effects are dominant. Conversely, sand transport is dominated by the asymmetry of peak ebb/flood velocities. We show that the direction of lag-driven transport can be estimated by the gradient of hydrodynamic energy. In agreement with previous studies, our results support the conceptualization of tidal flats' equilibrium as a simplified balance between tidal mechanisms and wave resuspension.

Modeling unsteady windblown sand dynamics requires not only treatment of the sand present in the air as a suspended constituent of a mixture but also consideration of erosion and sedimentation phenomena and consequently of the morphodynamic evolution of the sand-bed surface, including avalanching, especially in the presence of natural or human-built obstacles, artifacts, and infrastructures. With this aim in mind, we present a comprehensive multiphase model capable of accurately simulating all the physical phenomena mentioned above, producing satisfactory results, with reasonable computational effort. As test cases, two- and three-dimensional simulations of dune evolution are reported, as is windblown sand transport over a straight vertical wall. Examples of sand transport around other obstacles are given to show the flexibility of the model and its usefulness for such engineering applications.

Estuarine sediment dynamics are a consequence of various forcings (barotropic, estuarine circulation, and fluvial) that vary in space and time. Here, we present a study examining sediment dynamics in a narrow microtidal estuary, the Lower Passaic River in New Jersey, USA. The analysis incorporates measurements of suspended sediments, morphological change, sediment erodibility, and a numerical hydrodynamic model. The former two datasets are used to develop an understanding of sediment dynamics over the full range of hydrologic conditions, and the latter two datasets are used to interpret the behavior of the system. Subsequently, a conceptual picture is developed, one that classifies the morphological status of the system at any given time into three regimes dependent on river flow—regime I includes conditions when the system is importing sediments, regime II includes conditions when the system is exporting sediments by flushing a thin easily erodible surficial stratum termed the fluff layer, and regime III includes conditions when the system is exporting sediments by scouring more consolidated strata underneath the fluff layer. Regime III is relevant for the long-term morphodynamic equilibrium of the estuary by providing a mechanism that erodes and exports sediment accumulated under regime I conditions. Consequently, sediment dynamics depend not only on short time-scale processes such as the instantaneous river flow rate, but also on the time-history of river flow, and the long-term morphological progression of the system. These regimes represent a conceptualization of estuarine sediment transport dynamics and can be useful in the development of effective estuarine sediment management strategies.

Beach scarps are nearly vertical seaward facing sandy cliffs within the cross-shore beach profile. These features are often associated with eroding (nourished) coastlines and can reach heights of O(2–3 m). An analysis of a six-year dataset of beach scarp presence at the nourished Sand Engine beach shows that the formation of beach scarps at the nourishment is linked to mildly erosive (summer storm) conditions, whereas destruction is often related to extremely erosive (winter storm) conditions. Additional experiments were carried out showing the formation, migration, and destruction of scarps from artificially constructed mounds with linear slopes. The field experiments show that steep initial slopes are more susceptible to beach scarp formation. Video observations at these experiments show that the scarp toe level, where the vertical slope meets the gently sloping beach, is related to the high wave runup events. The commonly used 2% exceedance wave runup estimates can therefore be used to predict the final elevation of the scarp toe. The strong connection of maximum runup elevation with the scarp toe elevation provides a direct relation between the final scarp height through nourishment platform height and hydrodynamic conditions. High platform nourishments will promote the formation of beach scarps and steep initial profiles increase the speed at which scarps form. This study suggests that by adjusting the design of beach nourishments, beach scarp formation and persistency can be limited by regulating the natural destruction of these features.

Salt marshes are among the most common morphological features found in tidal landscapes and provide ecosystem services of primary ecological and economic importance. However, the continued rise in relative sea level and increasing anthropogenic pressures threaten the sustainability of these environments. The alarmingly high rates of salt marsh loss observed worldwide, mainly dictated by the lateral erosion of their margins, call for new insights into the mutual feedbacks among physical, biological, and morphological processes that take place at the critical interface between salt marshes and the adjoining tidal flats. We combined field measurements, remote sensing data, and numerical modeling to investigate the interplays between wind waves and the morphology, ecology, and planform evolution of salt marsh margins in the Venice Lagoon of Italy. Our results confirm the existence of a positive linear relationship between incoming wave power density and rates of salt marsh lateral retreat. In addition, we show that lateral erosion significantly decreases when halophytic vegetation colonizes the marsh margins, and that different erosion rates in vegetated margins are associated with different halophytes. High marsh cliffs and smooth shorelines are expected along rapidly eroding margins, whereas erosion rates are reduced in gently sloped, irregular edges facing shallow tidal flats that are typically exposed to low wind-energy conditions. By highlighting the relationships between the dynamics and functional forms of salt marsh margins, our results represent a critical step to address issues related to conservation and restoration of salt marsh ecosystems, especially in the face of changing environmental forcings.

Orientador: Giorgio Basilici Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências Resumo: Sistemas eólicos são abundantes no registro geológico após 1.8 Ga e, apesar da aplicação dos modelos atualísticos para os estudos desses sistemas, as condições sedimentares que os controlavam na Terra Proterozoica foram diferentes em comparação ao Fanerozoico. Portanto, é razoável supor que os padrões de construção, acumulação e preservação eólica entre esses Éons também tenham sido distintos. A presente Tese de Doutorado oferece um estudo acerca da dinâmica eólica presente no Mesoproterozoico a partir da análise sedimentológica e arquitetural da Formação Galho do Miguel (Supergrupo Espinhaço, 1.2-1.0 Ga), unidade de natureza eólica depositada sobre o Cráton do São Francisco. Durante o processo de construção, os depósitos demonstraram um sistema composto por um alto suprimento sedimentar e pelo amplo desenvolvimento de dunas sobrepostas (draas). O sistema estudado é caracterizado por uma grande variedade de morfologias e tamanhos de formas de leito, que contrastam com a maioria das reconstruções paleoambientais em exemplos correlatos. Esse contraste se justifica pela ação coeva entre o lençol freático e a subsidência na preservação do substrato acumulado, previamente depositados em condições secas. Contudo, as características genéticas observadas propõem que a presença de um lençol freático próximo à superfície foi fundamental para a preservação eólica, principalmente em áreas topograficamente elevadas. Os sistemas eólicos úmidos nesta sucessão são interpretados como o produto de taxas contínuas e proporcionais entre a elevação do lençol freático e o suprimento de areia ao longo do tempo. Nesse contexto, a ausência de depósitos fluviais e grandes superfícies erosivas indicam que os depósitos se originaram em condições áridas/semiáridas e em uma contínua taxa de acumulação. Logo, é possível que as mudanças climáticas nem sempre sejam o principal fator de controle sobre a posição do lençol freático em sistemas eólicos úmidos antigos. Caso contrário, os sedimentos acumulados seriam retrabalhados pelo desenvolvimento das planícies fluviais. Estas características levam a considerar que um lençol freático alto durante o avanço das dunas é atribuído a um ambiente costeiro, cujo aumento da continentalidade é acompanhado pelo desenvolvimento de campos de dunas mais secas. A Formação Galho do Miguel representa um extenso erg costeiro desenvolvido em condições híbridas (secas e úmidas). A presença de água desempenhou um papel duplo e ambíguo nesses sistemas que, por um lado, acumulou e preservou os depósitos eólicos e, por outro, limitou sua construção. Esta dualidade justifica (i) uma sucessão eólica seca com uma espessura incomum (~ 1000 m), (ii) os diferentes estilos de acumulação lateralmente coeva e (iii) a grande complexidade arquitetural dos depósitos preservados. Em contrapartida, em um cenário de baixa influência do lençol freático sobre as paleosuperfícies deposicionais, os sistemas eólicos possuíam um baixo potencial de preservação, uma vez que a ausência de agentes fixadores (cobertura vegetal) não proporcionaria a retenção dos sedimentos acumulados na bacia Abstract: Aeolian systems are common in the geological record after 1.8 Ga and, despite the application of current models in the studies of these systems, the sedimentary conditions that controlled them in the Proterozoic Earth were different concerning the Phanerozoic. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the patterns of aeolian construction, accumulation and preservation between these Eons were also distinct. The present Doctoral Thesis provides a study about the aeolian dynamics existing in the Mesoproterozoic based on the sedimentological and architectural analysis of the Galho do Miguel Formation (Espinhaço Supergroup, 1.2-1.0 Ga), an aeolian unit deposited over the São Francisco Craton. During the construction process, the deposits demonstrate a system composed of a high sediment supply and the development of superimposed dunes (draas). A wide variety of morphologies and size of bedforms characterises the studied system, contrasting with the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of correlate examples. This contrast is justified by the coeval action between the water table and the subsidence on the preservation of the accumulated substrate, previously deposited in dry conditions. Therefore, the genetic characteristics observed in the Galho do Miguel Formation proposes that the presence of a near-surface water table was fundamental for the aeolian preservation, mainly in high-relief areas. The wet aeolian systems in this succession are interpreted as the product of continuous and proportional rates between the water table rising and the sand supply over time. In this context, the absence of fluvial deposits and large erosive surfaces indicates that these deposits were originated in arid/semi-arid conditions and under a continuous accumulation rate, which proposes that climate changes are not always the main controlling factor over the water table position in ancient wet aeolian systems. Otherwise, the accumulated sediments would be reworked by the development of fluvial systems. These characteristics lead to consider that the near-surface water table ongoing the dune advance is attributed to a coastal environment, where the increase of the continentality is followed by the development of dryer dune fields. The Galho do Miguel Formation represents an extensive coastal erg developed under hybrid conditions (dry and wet/damp). The presence of the water table played a double and ambiguous role in these systems that, on the one hand, accumulated and preserved the aeolian deposits and, on the other, limited their construction. This duality justifies (i) a dry aeolian succession with an unusual thickness (~ 1000 m), (ii) the different styles of accumulation laterally coevals and (iii) the large architectural complexity of preserved deposits. Thus, in a scenario of low influence of the water table on the depositional palaeosurfaces, the aeolian systems had a low preservation potential, since the absence of fixing agents (e.g., vegetal cover) would not provide the retention of accumulated sediments in the basin Doutorado Geologia e Recursos Naturais Doutor em Ciências CNPQ 141812/2015-0 FAPESP 2017/03649-9

Barrier island response to sea‐level rise depends on their ability to transgress and move sediment onto and behind the barrier, either through flood‐tidal delta deposition or via overwash. Our understanding of these processes over decadal or longer timescales, however, is limited. Here we use a recently developed barrier island model (BRIE) to better understand the interplay between tidal dynamics, overwash fluxes, and sea‐level rise on barrier coasts and barrier island stratigraphy. Model results suggest that in microtidal environments with large alongshore sediment transport fluxes, tidal inlets are ephemeral and migrate rapidly. These conditions lead to effective deposition of flood‐tidal deltas and allow inlets to constitute most of the landward sediment flux. Whether barrier islands can survive sea‐level rise depends on the combined landward sediment flux from overwash and flood‐tidal delta deposition, likely making barrier islands with artificially stabilized inlets (via jetty construction or maintenance dredging) more vulnerable to sea‐level rise.

Foredunes are important features within coastal landscapes, yet there are relatively few medium to long-term studies on how they evolve and change over time. This study of Australia&rsquo, s New South Wales (NSW) foredunes has used 70 years of aerial photographs (or photogrammetry) and recent Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets to assess multi-decadal fluctuations in foredune morphology. It was shown that over the past 70 years NSW foredunes have exhibited considerable spatial variation, ranging from accretion/aggradation to recession. Those sites that accreted predominantly extended seaward as new incipient dunes, gaining a maximum of 235 m3 m&minus, 1 in sand volume over the study period (for the entire dune system). These sites were commonly found in the north of the state, within closed sediment compartments, and with strong onshore (and alongshore) wind climates present (increasing the potential for aeolian sand transport). Stable foredunes were those that remained within +/&minus, 50 m3 m&minus, 1 of their initial volume and managed to recover from the various storm impacts over the study period. The majority of these sites were found within the central to southern half of the state, behind embayed beaches, and within leaky sediment compartments, or those that have estuarine sinks. Finally, those foredunes in recession have retreated landwards and/or have reduced in height or width, and lost up to 437 m3 m&minus, 1 of sand volume over the study period. There was no clear spatial trend for these sites, however, generally they were found in compartments that had unusual orientations, had disruptions in longshore drift/cross shore sand delivery (i.e., rocky reefs), or were being impacted by humans (i.e., the installation of river training walls, sand bypassing systems, or coastal management programs). This study has shown that NSW foredunes have undergone substantial recent changes and, by understanding their past history, will provide better insight into how they can be managed into the future.

River deltas have received considerable attention due to coastal land loss issues caused by subsidence, storms, and sea level rise. Improved understanding of deltaic processes and dynamics is vital to coastal restoration efforts. This paper describes the application of process-based morphodynamic models to a prograding river delta. The analysis focuses on the flow and sediment dynamics amongst the interconnected channel network of the delta. The models were validated against observations of velocity and sediment concentrations for the Wax Lake Delta (WLD) of the Atchafalaya River system in Louisiana, USA. The WLD provides an opportunity as a natural laboratory for studying the processes associated with river dominated deltaic growth. It includes a network of bifurcated channels that self-organize and dynamically adjust, as the delta grows seaward to the Gulf of Mexico. The model results for a flood event show that 47% of the flow exits the system as channelized flow and the remaining 53% exits as overbank flow. The fine sediment (silt and clay) distribution was proportional with water fluxes throughout the channel network, whereas sand distribution was influenced by geometric attributes (size, invert elevation, and alignment) of the distributary channels. The long-term deltaic growth predicted by the model compares well with the observations for the period 1998–2012. This paper provides insights on how the distribution of flow and sediment amongst the interconnected delta channels influences the morphodynamics of the delta to reach a dynamic equilibrium within this relatively young deltaic system.