Modelling lateral entrapment of suspended sediment in estuaries: The role of spatial lags in settling and M4 tidal flow.

The effect of the joint action ofM2andM4tidal flow, residual flow and spatial settling lag on the lateral entrapment of sediment is examined in tidally dominated estuaries with an idealized model that assumes along-estuary uniform conditions. Approximate solutions are obtained for arbitrary cross-channel bed profiles by scaling and perturbation analysis. The hydrodynamics include externally drivenM2tidal flow, externally and internally drivenM4tidal flow and residual flow driven by horizontal density gradient, river discharge and nonlinear advection. The sediment concentration includes a mean component, anM2component driven by bed erosion and anM2component driven by both bed erosion and inertial terms. Sediment availability is calculated by imposing a morphodynamic equilibrium condition. The model is applied to a transect in the James River estuary where data of flow and suspended sediment concentration are available. Two types of sediment are separately considered, viz., fine silt and coarse silt. Residual advective transport of sediment by the lateral flow induces trapping of sediment over the left shoal (looking landward). Model results also show that the incorporation ofM4tidal flow and spatial settling lag leads to a second sediment trapping region over the right shoal. Model results are qualitatively in good agreement with the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]