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Results of bathymetric surveys conducted to examine changes of sand dunes geometry in the Vistula River mouth before, during and after the extreme flood event are presented. A total of 2076 dunes were analysed based on a series of bed elevation profiles obtained along the centreline of about 3.3 km length. Low-steepness dunes characterized by the mean lee-side slopes milder than β10°. Dune height and length are substantially out of phase with progressive changes of water discharge exposing a well-pronounced anti-clockwise hysteresis. Distinct behaviour of dune dimensions reflected in increasing of dune steepness H/λ of about 3-fold and decreasing of about 4-fold were observed during rising and falling discharges, respectively. The bed roughness due to dunes presence showed changes of about 10-fold during the both of limbs and is found to be in range of about kdunes=(1/5÷3/5)Hmean. At the mesoscale region, spectra followed sufficiently by the ‘–3 power law’ for low hydrology, with steeper spectrum slopes close to ‘–4’ during moderate and high water discharges. With the development of the flood, potential of flow separation phenomena was increased of about 9-fold, from 2.2% at the flood beginning phase up to 20% at the flood peak. The obtained results could be used for the improvement of the hydraulic numerical models in sand-bed rivers to predict bedforms evolution, flow resistance and turbulence as well as water levels for proper river system management during flood events.

Summary: In this paper, bedload sediment transport to the Baltic Sea in the main Vistula River mouth (Przekop Wisły) is estimated. For the first time in this area, investigations were performed based on the non-invasive measurement techniques with the using of hydroacoustic tools. Repeated bathymetric surveys were carried out using a multibeam echosounder for the period with hydrological conditions close to that of the long-term mean annual water discharge. Quantification of the bedload transport, as a main factor for the subaqueous Vistula delta development, involved applying the bedform tracking technique, and estimating the dune celerity by analysing the cross-correlation functions of bed elevation profiles (BEPs). The BEPs were obtained along two transects of 500 m in length situated in two different morphological parts of the river mouth – in the “shallow” and in the “deep” sites located upstream and downstream of the submerged sandbar, respectively. Contrarily to previous observations, the bedload transport was found to take place constantly. Moreover, a significant difference in a character of dune migration between the two sites of the investigated area was determined. The “shallow” dunes migrate 7 times faster (0.022 m/h) than the “deep” ones (0.003 m/h). Estimation of the daily bedload transport towards the Baltic Sea revealed values about 40.9 t/day and 8.4 t/day for “shallow” and “deep” sites, respectively. This result can probably indicate that a significant portion of sediments (ca. 80%) transported by the river during average hydrological conditions is deposited temporarily on the submerged sandbar, causing its growth. Keywords: Sand dune migration, Bedload transport, Vistula River mouth

Cliff coasts are dynamic environments that can retreat very quickly. However, the short-term changes and factors contributing to cliff coast erosion have not received as much attention as dune coasts. In this study, three soft-cliff systems in the southern Baltic Sea were monitored with the use of terrestrial laser scanner technology over a period of almost two years to generate a time series of thirteen topographic surveys. Digital elevation models constructed for those surveys allowed the extraction of several geomorphological indicators describing coastal dynamics. Combined with observational and modeled datasets on hydrological and meteorological conditions, descriptive and statistical analyses were performed to evaluate cliff coast erosion. A new statistical model of short-term cliff erosion was developed by using a non-parametric Bayesian network approach. The results revealed the complexity and diversity of the physical processes influencing both beach and cliff erosion. Wind, waves, sea levels, and precipitation were shown to have different impacts on each part of the coastal profile. At each level, different indicators were useful for describing the conditional dependency between storm conditions and erosion. These results are an important step toward a predictive model of cliff erosion.

A new spectral analysis technique is proposed for rhythmic bedform quantification, based on the 2D Fourier transform involving the calculation of a set of low-order spectral moments. The approach provides a tool for efficient quantification of bedform length and height as well as spatial crest-line alignment. Contrary to the conventional method, it not only describes the most energetic component of an undulating seabed surface but also retrieves information on its secondary structure without application of any band-pass filter of which the upper and lower cut-off frequencies are a priori unknown. Validation is based on bathymetric data collected in the main Vistula River mouth area (Przekop Wisly), Poland. This revealed two generations (distinct groups) of dunes which are migrating seawards along distinct paths, probably related to the hydrological regime of the river. The data enable the identification of dune divergence and convergence zones. The approach proved successful in the parameterisation of topographic roughness, an essential aspect in numerical modelling studies.

A field of large to very large subaqueous dunes was investigated in the Jade tidal channel, south-eastern North Sea, between January 2006 and October 2011. A ground-truthed sidescan sonar sediment map shows that the dunes, which are located on top of a consolidated clay surface, are composed of medium to coarse sand. A series of 35 consecutive high-resolution bathymetric surfaces collected by multibeam echosounder revealed a complex migration pattern induced by the reversing tidal currents. Various parts of the dune field are under the influence of either ebb- or flood-dominated currents, as indicated by dune asymmetries. Although some dunes migrate at a pace exceeding 100 m/year, the majority are displaced by 30 m/year in the direction of the locally dominant current. In the deepest part of the channel, however, dunes were observed to converge head-on, resulting in practically zero net transport with minor oscillations of symmetrical dunes at the apex. Applying the numerical UnTRIM model for the simulation of the fair-weather hydrology, a simplified map of residual current vectors over the dune field was generated. The residual flow vectors are found to perfectly match the derived dune migration vectors, suggesting that dune convergence is controlled by two counter-rotating residual current vortices caused by the local shape of the tidal channel. As no sediment build-up is observed, a mechanism of sediment bypassing with potential recirculation must exist, but has not yet been identified.

In Miȩdzyzdroje, a coastal town in Poland, significant cliff retreat has been observed in recent times. It used to be considered mainly a response to storm events with particularly high water levels and wave energy. However, morphology of cliff coasts is shaped not only by the most extreme storm surges or by a number of accompanying processes such as precipitation. Much wider effects are now being linked to the occurrence of series of subsequent storms. This research uses a set of five terrestrial LiDAR surveys carried out between November 2016 and April 2017 to determine short-term cliff erosion associated with two major storm surges and several smaller storms. The surveys covered the whole cliff profile as well as the topography of the adjacent beach. Results indicate a considerable reduction in beach levels as a first important effect. Frequency of the storm events prevented the beach from recovering between the surges, allowing the waves to directly attack the cliff base. Consequently, the cliff foot line retreated up to 4.7 m. This resulted in an erosion volume exceeding 25.000 m within 5 sections of the coastal cliff analysed, which are 500 m long in total. This work demonstrates that the development of the coastline is not only directly linked with the rate of erosion at given storm parameters. More importantly, the frequency of extreme events has to be considered.

The first interdisciplinary analysis (biological and sedimentological) of macrofauna communities influenced by long-term morphodynamics of shoreface-connected ridges in the German Bight on a small scale is presented in this study. The study area covering 4 km 2 was located off the island of Spiekeroog, in an area known as a Tellina fabula community. Sediment samples taken at 27 sample sites were coupled with side-scan sonar data to draw a precise sediment map of the area, as well as with high-resolution multi-beam bathymetry data to understand the morphodynamic changes of the seabed between 2003 and 2010. The macrofauna data acquired at the same 27 sites were analysed for community structure using non-metric multidimensional scaling, the ANOSIM and PERMANOVA tests. Correlations between biological and environmental variables were examined with the BIOENV procedure. The study revealed a shore-parallel sediment zonation with clear and sharp borders induced by local morphodynamics, which together with specific local bathymetry affected the formation of three different macrofauna affinity groups. One group was located on the shoreface and in the troughs (dominant species: Scoloplos armiger , Lanice conchilega , Notomastus latericeus ), one on the landward flanks of the ridges (dominant species: Aonides paucibranchiata , Goniadella bobretzkii ), and one on the ridge crests (dominant species: Ophelia spp. juv., Spio goniocephala ). The spatial distribution of the affinity groups, their taxa number and abundance of species was dependent on a surface sediment pattern resulting from local hydrodynamics, which in turn is known to influence the food availability. A seaward steepening of ridges took place and was an effect of erosion up to 0.34 m on landward flanks in and accumulation up to 0.29 m on seaward flanks in seven years. The studied shoreface-connected ridges migrated seawards with a pace of 5 m/year for the large ridge and 20 m/year for the small ridge. Elongated mud-pockets were common in the deepest parts of the troughs, but seemed to be unstable in time. The identified general seaward migration of shoreface-connected ridges seemed to be slow enough for the macrofauna communities to migrate with the morphodynamics of the ridges.

The German Wadden Sea (southern North Sea) sediments are composed of both cohesive and non-cohesive deposits. The spatial distribution patterns are mainly driven by wind-induced waves and tidal currents. Transport intensity and duration depend on the hydrodynamic conditions, which vary over time. In this paper, the transport of suspended sediment was investigated on seasonal, tidal and hourly time scales in the back-barrier system of Spiekeroog Island. Long- and short-term data of fair weather periods and two storm events were investigated based on stationary and mobile measurements of currents and waves by Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), in situ particle size and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measurements by laser in situ scattering and transmissometry (LISST) as well as wind records. The ADCP backscatter intensities were calibrated by means of LISST volume concentration data in order to quantify longer term SSCs and fluxes in the back-barrier system. Values up to 120 mg l−1 were recorded, but concentrations more commonly were below 60 mg l−1. The long-term results confirm former observations of a balanced budget during low-energy (fair weather) conditions in the study area. In general, SSCs were higher during spring tides than during neap tides. The data also clearly show the remobilisation of sediment by tidal current entrainment. The records include two severe storm events, “Britta” (1st November 2006) and “Kyrill” (18th January 2007). The data reveal very complex temporal flow and transport patterns. During both storm events, the export of material was mainly controlled by the interaction of wind, waves and tidal phase. The typical ebb-dominance occurring during fair-weather conditions was temporarily neutralised and even reversed to a flood-dominated situation. During “Kyrill”, the wind and high-waves setup in conjunction with the tidal phase was even able to compress the duration of two successive ebb cycles by over 70%. Although SSCs increased during both storms and higher turbulence lifted particle clouds upwards, an export of suspended matter towards the North Sea was only observed under the conditions taking place during “Britta”. Such fluxes, however, are currently still difficult to quantify because the backscatter intensity during high energy events includes a substantial amount of noise produced by the high turbulence, especially near the water surface.

In the course of two regional side-scan sonar surveys on the continental shelf off southern Vietnam after the winter monsoon seasons of 2003 and 2004, and covering a total distance of over 1,000 km, the widespread occurrence of large and very large subaqueous dunes was discovered. On the basis of their size, shape, depth of occurrence and orientation, the dunes were grouped into five spatially distinct regions. In each case, a different height/wavelength relationship is observed. With the exception of region no. 3 where dune dimensions follow the mean global trend, the dimensions in the other regions lie below the mean global trend. The most plausible explanation for this is sediment starvation and/or insufficient time for the larger dunes to fully adjust to changing flow conditions. A good correlation is observed between average dune height in each region and water depth, although this is not the case for dune length. The orientation of the dunes corresponds to the direction of the current pattern induced by the regional winter monsoon winds (NE to SW and S). The generally well-developed asymmetrical shapes and the large size of the dunes suggest that the wind-induced currents are strong enough to reactivate most of the dunes during the winter monsoon season, a conclusion supported also by theoretical calculations of critical current velocities. The largest dunes, which seem to have reached their maximum sizes for the local water depths, may not be reactivated regularly but rather only by exceptionally strong episodic flows.

The growing demand for marine mineral resources introduces anthropogenic impacts in the coastal zone, among others also through aggregate dredging. Pits created by anchor hopper dredging may affect local sediment budgets, local hydrodynamics and biological habitats. In this study we investigate the processes and time-scales of pits refilling at two extraction sites over 6 years following cessation of dredging. We focused on the evolution of a single pit at a gravel extraction site and the development of a group of three pits located at a sand extraction site. In the case of the gravel pit, a series of six sonograph and two multibeam surveys were evaluated. We observed a spatial expansion of the edge of the pit, decreasing availability of screened sand in the neighbourhood of the pit (a possible source of refilling), and a slowing down of the refilling process with time. At the sandy pit site a series of seven sonographs and two multibeam surveys were available. We observed a smoothing of the edges and larger mean refilling rates than in the gravel pit case. We conclude that the most effective method for monitoring of pit evolution is to make measurements every six months by simultaneously deploying sidescan sonar and multibeam devices.

In the Baltic and the North Sea area the collection of sidescan sonar data began in the early 1970s. Although positioning systems at that time were much less accurate than today, such analogue data archives are a valuable source of comparison for estimating spatial and temporal changes in sediment patterns. This paper describes how geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing methods are being applied for more accurate positioning and geometric correction of analogue sidescan sonar profiles geo-referenced by the DECCA navigation system (DNS). A 20 km(2) area in the North Sea, where even after 25 years a complicated sediment pattern has only changed slightly, was selected for the comparison. Data from two sidescan sonar surveys, one from 1977 and the other from 2002, were available. The 2002 data, acquired with a positioning accuracy of estimated 25 in, were mosaicked using modern digital processing techniques. This dataset was used to estimate positioning errors in the analogue sidescan sonar profiles of 1977. After the application of a geo-referencing method of,rubber sheeting' based on an irregular network of ground control points to generate a mosaic of the analogue profiles, positioning errors of 211 m in the E-W and 98 in in the N-S directions were obtained. The positioning error of the DNS calculated from equations provided by the DECCAN Navigator Company for this area, was as large as 200 m for the 'purple' station transmission, 197 m for the 'green', and 66 m for the 'red' one. Consequently, we conclude that the observed positioning errors were mainly caused by systematic deviations of the DNS rather than simplifications used in our methodology. Since such large errors can be corrected locally with some confidence, analogue sidescan profiles geo-referenced by DNS can be used as a significant source of information after digital image processing at appropriate map scales. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complex, large-scale sorted bedforms have been investigated in the southeastern North Sea. We present a unique time series of sidescan sonar and multibeam backscatter data spanning 26 years (1977–2003). In the storm-dominated study area, sorted bedforms surrounded by fine sand plains, are widespread. Although, wave and current shear stresses indicate a frequent remobilisation of fine sediment and an episodic remobilisation of coarse sediment, it appears that existing patterns have remained essentially stable over a period of 26 years. Moreover, we observe the birth of new sorted bedforms. The observed patterns are interpreted as the product of a feedback-related sorting process consistent with a recent explanation of sorted bedform formation. The observed sorted bedforms tend to be oriented perpendicular to the ambient tidal currents, indicating the importance of tidal flows in their shaping. Moreover, they are dominantly symmetric in cross-section, i.e. the boundaries between coarse and fine sediment are sharp. This finding is consistent with a reversing tidal current of almost equal strength during ebb and flood. Similar to subaqueous dunes, sorted bedforms might therefore be subdivided into symmetric and asymmetric types, depending on hydrodynamic forcing. However, the newly emerging sorted bedforms are asymmetric, with an orientation independent of tidal current flow but perpendicular to the direction from which the highest storm waves approach the study area. We thus conclude that extreme storm events may play a major role in the generation of sorted bedforms, whereas the quasi-continuous tidal currents form and maintain their final shape.