Building With Nature: A System Analysis of Dynamic Double Dike Systems

Sea level rise and land subsidence increasingly put more pressure on Dutch flood protections. Additional to regular dike reinforcements, new, more nature-based, solutions are considered, such as a double dike system (DDS). Such system, consisting of two parallel dikes in combination with an interdike area in the form of a salt marsh, offers the...

Predicting ecotopes for the assessment of Nature-based Solutions: A case study on the Western Scheldt

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have recently gained more interest in hydraulic engineering. It is based on the concept of using forces of nature rather than working against them. In addition, it focuses on using natural processes to fulfil co-benefits for the parties involved. <br/>One of the parties involved is nature. However, a quantitative...

Morphodynamic Modelling in Tidal and Estuarine Environments: A Heuristic Investigation into Methods to Model Medium-Term Meso-scale Morphological Features

The overarching aim of this research is to contribute towards a best practice in modelling meso-scale O(10km), medium-term O(5yrs.) morphological features in Tidal &amp; Estuarine environments. Therefore, various modelling aspects and stages are reviewed. The first pillar argues the need for numerical models in the...

Investigating Wind-Waves Impact and Sea Level Rise on the Long-term Morphological Development of Estuarine Shoals

Estuarine shoals are valuable areas with functions of nature, safety and navigation. It is of utmost importance to understand their underlying physical processes and long-term evolution to achieve protection. The first aim of this report is to determine the impact of wind-waves on long-term morphological development of estuarine shoals. The...

The role of mud on the long-term morphological development of a tidal basin

The differences in morphological development between the intertidal flats of the Eastern and Western Scheldt

Human interventions have a large impact on estuarine morphology. The intertidal flats in the Eastern Scheldt and Western Scheldt estuaries (The Netherlands) have faced substantial morphological changes over the past decades. These changes are thought to be caused by human interventions, such as the construction of the storm surge barrier in the...

Modeling centuries of estuarine morphodynamics in the Western Scheldt estuary

We hindcast a 110 year period (1860-1970) of morphodynamic behavior of the Western Scheldt estuary by means of a 2-D, high-resolution, process-based model and compare results to a historically unique bathymetric data set. Initially, the model skill decreases for a few decades. Against common perception, the model skill increases after that to...

Morphological development after the July 2014 flow slide on the tidal flat of Walsoorden in the Western Scheldt

The overall behaviour of the tide-dominated Western Scheldt is in general well known. Its multichannel-system consists of ebb and flood channels, separated by intertidal areas; the tidal flats. The estuary shows a dynamic behaviour of erosion and sedimentation of the tidal flats. A large flow slide occurred at the tidal flat of Walsoorden in...

Influence of wave climate schematisation on the simulated morphological development of the Western Scheldt entrance

In the entrance of the estuary of the Western Scheldt (defined as the area between Vlissingen and Terneuzen), wave conditions are dominated by local wind conditions rather than by wave conditions at the North Sea. This is caused by the presence of the ebb tidal delta in front of the entrance. Waves influence the simulated morphology by eroding...

Influence of shear rate, organic matter content pH and salinity on mud flocculation

The Energy Polder: Feasibility Study on a Tidal Power Plant along the Western Scheldt

In the Netherlands 6,8% of the total electricity production came from renewable energy sources. Electricity was 17 % of the total energy consumption in that year. In total 1,2% of the energy consumption was therefore renewable. The objective of the cabinet to get 20% of the energy from renewable energy sources will therefore be a major challenge...

Comparing different shallow geophysical methods in a tidal estuary, Verdronken Land van Saeftinge, Western Scheldt, the Netherlands

In order to validate existing models of sedimentation in active sedimentary environments, detailed stratigraphic information is indispensable. Near-surface geophysical methods provide a means to acquire high-resolution images of the stratigraphic succession in the shallow subsurface. Land-based and marine methods have been tested in the...