Tidal and sediment dynamics in a fine-grained coastal region: A case study of the Jiangsu coast

The Jiangsu coast is located in eastern China bordering the South Yellow Sea. It is strongly affected by the semi-diurnal tides. Both the tidal range and the tidal current vary greatly in space due to local tidal wave systems and morphologies. The radial tidal current pattern identified at the central coast is suggested to play a primary role in...

Tidal flat landscape formation and evolution

Tidal flat landscape formation and evolution are closely related to the biotic and abiotic processes that take place in the intertidal environments. Extensive studies have been carried out on the relevant agents such as hydrodynamics, sediment transport and the related ecosystem (vegetation and benthic communities) dynamics. However, the...

Macrophytes in estuarine gradients: Flow through flexible vegetation

Aquatic plants –or macrophytes- are an important part of coastal, estuarine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide, both from an ecological and an engineering viewpoint. Their meadows provide a wide range of ecosystem services: forming a physical protection of the shoreline, enhancing water quality and harbouring many other organisms. Unfortunately...

Physics of Blown Sand and Coastal Dunes

Onshore sandbar migration in the nearshore

This thesis is about the hydrodynamic processes that occur when a nearshore sandbar migrates towards the shore driven by the waves. These processes are relevant because process-based morphological models have difficulty simulating coastal accretion events in contrast to erosion events. Simulating accretion events is important for engineering...

Effects of a stratified tidal flow on the morphodynamics

This thesis examines the effects of the stratified tidal flow on the morphodynamics of the Dutch inner shelf. The south portion of the Dutch inner shelf is strongly influenced by the Rhine River ROFI (Region Of Freshwater Influence), which is generated by the discharge from the Rhine River through the Rotterdam waterways. Under stratified...

Aeolian Sediment Availability and Transport

This thesis explores the nature of aeolian sediment availability and its influence on aeolian sediment transport. The aim is to improve large scale and long term aeolian sediment transport estimates in (nourished) coastal environments. The generally poor performance of aeolian sediment transport models with respect to measurements in coastal...