Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2018

Abstract

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. To investigate bay hydrodynamics and its impacts on the adjacent micro-tidal wetland sustainability, hourly measurements of wave, tidal current, and benthic suspended sediment concentration in summer, winter, and spring of 2015–2016 were conducted in Fourleague Bay, Louisiana, USA. High-temporal resolution data indicate that benthic suspended sediment resuspension had a dominant periodicity of 4.8-d, which was mainly caused by wind-driven waves. Sediment flux reached 28 g·m−2·s−1 during events. Net sediment flux direction is northwestward in summer, and southeastward in winter and spring. Potential depth-integrated sediment flux to surrounding wetland varied within 0–500 g·m−1·s−1. Seasonal variations of river discharge and wind direction (particularly speed >3 m·s−1) dominated potential sediment contribution from the bay to the surrounding wetland. Three sediment transport regimes were delineated: ‘bypassing’ season, resuspension-accumulation season, and combined ‘bypassing’ and resuspension-accumulation season. This study couples bay hydrodynamics to the sediment transport processes and sustainability of adjacent wetlands in a micro tidal environment. It sheds light on the understanding of natural feedback mechanisms and how estuarine-marsh system survive high relative sea level rising scenario in micro tidal environment, which could aid in the design of future ecological engineering restoration strategies.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Marine Geology

First Page

68

Last Page

76

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