ASMITA modelling of the Wadden Sea with focus on the Groningerwad: Assessing how the Groningerwad will respond to accelerated sea level rise

Some of the sediment which is eroded from the Dutch coast ends up in the Wadden Sea. Because of this the morphological development of the Wadden Sea is important, not only for the Wadden Sea itself but also for the maintenance programs of the adjacent coastlines. This is one of the reasons that the morphological development of the Wadden Sea is...

Long-term morphological modelling of tidal inlet systems: Implementing salt marshes in ASMITA

A rise in the global mean temperature induced by climate change is expected to have a large impact on ecosystems in all regions of the world. One of the threats is accelerated sea level rise (SLR). This may induce the loss of intertidal areas in tidal inlet systems. The long-term morphological response of tidal inlet systems can be modelled...

Thesis small scale equilibria in tidal basins: A data-analysis and case study in the Ameland Inlet

The behaviour of tidal basins has been predicted using a modelling approach in which a morphological equilibrium for an entire basin was used frequently in the past. Because tidal basins have, to an certain extend, a fractal nature, it is expected that this approach could be used with a morphological equilibrium for subbasins as well.<br/><br/...

Development of intertidal flats in the Dutch Wadden Sea in response to a rising sea level: Spatial differentiation and sensitivity to the rate of sea level rise

The Wadden Sea is a unique intertidal wetland area, forming an important hub for migratory water birds. A feared effect of accelerated sea-level rise (SLR) is the gradual loss or even disappearance of the ecologically valuable intertidal flats. To date, the effect of SLR on the time-evolution of the intertidal areas in the Dutch Wadden Sea...

Future sediment exchange between the Dutch Wadden Sea and North Sea Coast - Insights based on ASMITA modelling

The sediment exchange between the Dutch Wadden Sea and the North Sea coastal zone is of key importance to Dutch coastal management. Net sediment import from the coastal zone to the Wadden Sea results in coastal erosion which needs to be compensated through nourishments. At the same time net sediment import is the source of sediment for the...

Modeling Long-term Morphological Developments of Intertidal Flats: A Comparison Among Different Modeling Approaches

Estuarine intertidal flats comprise valuable ecosystems and act as an important sediment source for the adjacent salt marsh systems. However, accelerating sea-level rise threatens the mudflats and associated ecosystems, where the mudflat accretion lag behind sea level rise. A reliable forecast on the morphological developments of the mudflat...

Long-term morphological evolution of the Western Dutch Wadden Sea

The present study considers long-term morphologic development of the inlets forming the Western Dutch Wadden Sea. This concerns analysis of field measurements carried out since closure of the Zuider Sea (1932) as well as an assessment of possible imporvements of long-term morphological prodictions made for this area using ASMITA. From field...

Morphodynamics of the Lister Tief tidal basin

The Wadden Sea is characterized by barrier islands separated by tidal inlets consisting of a system of inter-tidal flats and channels. It is an ecologically valuable area. Accelerated sea-level rise due to climate change combined with human interference which may cause land subsidence can have significant impact on the Wadden Sea system. A major...

The impact of gas extraction and sea level rise on the morphology of the Wadden Sea: Extension and application of the model ASMITA

It is the policy of the Dutch government to aim at the extraction of gas from the smaller gas fields in The Netherlands to spare the large Slochteren field in Groningen. The gas reservoirs below the Wadden Sea are counted among the smaller fields. Their capacity is estimated to 200 thousand million cubic metres, and their economic value is equal...