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1.
《Marine Geology》2006,225(1-4):23-44
The morphodynamics of inlets and ebb-tidal deltas reflect the interaction between wave and tidal current-driven sediment transport and significantly influence the behaviour of adjacent shorelines. Studies of inlet morphodynamics have tended to focus on sand-dominated coastlines and reference to gravel-dominated or ‘gravel-rich’ inlets is rare. This work characterises and conceptualises the morphodynamics of a meso-tidal sand–gravel inlet at the mouth of the Deben estuary, southeast England. Behaviour of the inlet and ebb-tidal delta over the last 200 yr is analysed with respect to planform configuration and bathymetry. The estuary inlet is historically dynamic, with ebb-tidal shoals exhibiting broadly cyclic behaviour on a 10 to 30 yr timescale. Quantification of inlet parameters for the most recent cycle (1981–2003) indicate an average ebb delta volume of 1 × 106 m3 and inlet cross-sectional area of 775 m2. Bypassing volumes provide a direct indicator of annual longshore sediment transport rate over this most recent cycle of 30–40 × 103 m3 yr− 1. Short-term increases in total ebb-tidal delta volume are linked to annual variability in the north to northeasterly wind climate. The sediment bypassing mechanism operating in the Deben inlet is comparable to the ‘ebb delta breaching’ model of FitzGerald [FitzGerald, D.M., 1988. Shoreline erosional–depositional processes associated with tidal inlets, in: Aubrey, D.G., Weishar, L. (Ed.), Hydrodynamics and Sediment Dynamics of Tidal Inlets. Springer-Verlag Inc., New York, pp. 186–225.], although the scales and rates of change exhibited are notably different to sand-dominated systems. A systematic review of empirical models of sand-dominated inlet and ebb-tidal delta morphodynamics (e.g. those of [O'Brien, M.P., 1931. Estuary tidal prisms related to entrance areas. Civil Engineering, 1, 738–739.; Walton, T.L., and Adams, W.D., 1976. Capacity of inlet outer bars to store sand. Proceedings of 15th Coastal Engineering Conference, 1919–1937.; Gaudiano, D.J., Kana, T.W., 2001. Shoal bypassing in mixed energy inlets: geomorphic variables and empirical predictions for nine South Carolina inlets. J. Coast. Res., 17, (2), 280–291.]) shows the Deben system to be significantly smaller yet characterised by a longer bypassing cycle than would be expected for its tidal prism. This is attributed to its coarse-grained sedimentology and the lower efficiency of sediment transporting processes. 相似文献
2.
《Marine Geology》2001,172(3-4):225-241
The Piedras Estuary is one of the most significative estuarine systems on the mesotidal Huelva Coast, in the Northwestern portion of the Cadix Gulf. The river mouth is presently an estuarine lagoon partially closed by a large spit constructed from an old barrier island system. This estuary is in an advanced state of infilling and its tidal prism has decreased during the Holocene causing instability and clogging of old inlets and transforming the barrier island chain into a spit. Sedimentation is controlled by the interaction of ebb tide currents and the prevailing SW waves. The main sediment supply is provided by an intensive West-to-East longshore current, transporting sand material from Portuguese cliffs and the Guadiana River. Tidal range is mesotidal (2.0 m) and the mean significant wave height is 0.6 m with an average period of 3.6 s.A boxcore study allowed five depositional facies to be distinguished in the Piedras Estuary mouth: (1) main ebb channels; (2) marginal flood channels; (3) ebb-tidal delta lobes; (4) marginal levees; and (5) curved spits. The recent evolution studied in this area suggests a cyclic evolutionary model for the ebb-tidal delta system. The architectural facies relations shown by the vibracore/boxcore study confirm that the apical growth of the spit occurred over the innermost of these ebb-tidal deltas. Consequently the preserved sequence shows the ebb-tidal delta facies under the spit facies. 相似文献
3.
Analyses of sea level and current-meter data using digital filters and a variety of statistical methods show a variety of phenomena related to non-local coastal forcing and local tidal forcing in the northern reach of San Francisco Bay, a partially mixed estuary. Low-frequency variations in sea level are dominated by non-local variations in coastal sea level and also show a smaller influence from tidally induced fortnightly sea level variations. Low-frequency currents demonstrate a gravitational circulation which is modified by changes in tidal-current speed over the spring-neap tidal cycle. Transients in gravitational circulation induce internal oscillations with periods of two to four days. 相似文献
4.
Sea level fluctuations in central California at subtidal to decadal and longer time scales with implications for San Francisco Bay, California 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
Sea level elevations from near the mouth of San Francisco Bay are used to describe the low-frequency variability of forcing of the coastal ocean on the Bay at a variety of temporal scales. About 90% of subtidal fluctuations in sea level in San Francisco Bay are driven by the sea level variations in the coastal ocean that propagate into the Bay at the estuary mouth. We use the 100-year sea level record available at San Francisco to document a 1.9 mm/yr mean sea level rise, and to determine fluctuations related to El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and other climatic events. At time scales greater than 1 year, ENSO dominates the sea level signal and can result in fluctuations in sea level of 10–15 cm. Alongshore wind stress data from central California are also analyzed to determine the impact of changes in coastal elevation at the mouth of San Francisco Bay within the synoptic wind band of 2–30 days. At least 40% of the subtidal fluctuations in sea level of the Bay are tied to the large-scale regional wind field affecting sea level variations in the coastal ocean, with little local, direct wind forcing of the Bay itself. The majority of the subtidal sea level fluctuations within the Bay that are not related to the coastal ocean sea level signal are forced by an east–west sea level gradient resulting from tidally induced variations in sea level at specific beat frequencies that are enhanced in the northern reach of the Bay. River discharge into the Bay through the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta also contributes to the east–west gradient, but to a lesser degree. 相似文献
5.
A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model application to the San Francisco Bay was performed using the Boundary-Fitted HYDROdynamic model (BFHYDRO). The model forcing functions consist of tidal elevations along the open boundary and fresh water flows from the Delta Outflow. The model-predicted surface elevations compare well with the observed surface elevations at five stations in San Francisco Bay. Mean error in the model predicted surface elevations and currents are less than 7 and 9%, respectively. Correlation coefficients for surface elevations and currents are higher than 0.94 and 0.95, respectively. The amplitudes and phases of the principal tidal constituents at 24 tidal stations in San Francisco Bay, obtained from a harmonic analysis of a 90-day simulation compare well with the observed data. The predicted amplitude and phase of the M2 tidal constituent at these stations are respectively within 8 cm and 8° of the observed data. Maximum errors in the K1 harmonic amplitudes and phases are less than 3 cm and 7° respectively. The asymmetric diurnal and semi-diurnal tidal ranges and spring and neap tidal cycles of the surface elevations and currents are well reproduced in the model at all stations. 相似文献
6.
Delta lobe degradation and hurricane impacts governing large-scale coastal behavior,South-central Louisiana,USA 总被引：2，自引：1，他引：1
Michael D. Miner Mark A. Kulp Duncan M. FitzGerald James G. Flocks H. Dallon Weathers 《Geo-Marine Letters》2009,29(6):441-453
A large deficit in the coastal sediment budget, high rates of relative sea-level rise (~0.9 cm/year), and storm-induced current
and wave erosion are forcing barrier shoreface retreat along the periphery of the Mississippi River delta plain. Additionally,
conversion of interior wetlands to open water has increased the bay tidal prism, resulting in degradation of barrier islands
due to inlet widening, formation of new inlets, and sediment sequestration at ebb-tidal deltas. Single-beam bathymetric surveys
along a 165-km stretch of south-central Louisiana barrier coast, from Raccoon Point in Terrebonne Parish to Sandy Point in
Plaquemines Parish, were conducted in 2006. These data, combined with historical bathymetry from three time periods (dating
to the 1880s), provide a series of digital elevation models that were used to calculate sediment volumetric changes and determine
long-term erosional-depositional trends. Dominant patterns during the 125-year period include (1) erosion of ~1.6 × 109 m3 from the shoreface, forcing up to 3 km of shoreface retreat, (2) sediment deposition in coastal bights and at ebb-tidal deltas,
and (3) a combined increase in tidal inlet cross-sectional area from ~41,400 m2 to ~139,500 m2. Bathymetric and shoreline change datasets separated by shorter time periods (sub-annual) demonstrate that these long-term
trends are driven by processes associated with major hurricane impacts, and that rates of shoreface erosion are an order of
magnitude greater during active hurricane seasons compared to long-term trends. 相似文献
7.
Studies of shoreline progradation along low-energy vegetated shorelines have been limited, as these environments are generally experiencing erosion rather than deposition, with extreme erosion rates frequently found. This study examined yearly changes along a vegetated shoreline at Calaveras Point Marsh, South San Francisco Bay, California, using aerial photography, to determine the roles of climatic, watershed, and coastal process in driving shoreline changes. In addition, sediment accumulation was monitored on a yearly basis at 48 locations across the marsh to determine the role of geomorphic factors in promoting accumulation. Calaveras Point Marsh was found to have expanded from 49.26 ± 5.2 to 165.7 ± 4.7 ha between 1975 and 2005. Although the rate of marsh expansion was not positively correlated with yearly variability in precipitation, local streamflow, delta outflow, water level observations, population growth, or ENSO indices, marsh growth was greater during years of higher than average temperatures. Warmer temperatures may have promoted the recruitment and growth of Spartina foliosa, a C4 grass known to be highly responsive to temperature. Other factors, such as the formation of a coastal barrier, a recent change in the location of the mouth of the Guadalupe River, and channel readjustment in response to diking are credited with driving the bulk of the marsh expansion. Sediment accumulation was found to be high closest to channels and to the shoreline, at low elevations and in recently vegetated marsh. Globally, the pace of sea level rise exerts the primary control on wetland development and persistence. However, at local geographic scales, factors such as tectonic events, modifications to natural sediment transport pathways or land use changes may overwhelm the effects of regional sea level rise, and allow for wetlands to develop, expand and persist despite rapid sea level rise. 相似文献
8.
Transport and distribution of bacteria and diatoms in the aqueous surface microlayer of a salt marsh
Ronald W. Harvey Leonard W. Lion Lily Y. Young 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1983,16(5):543-547
The effects of tide and wind upon the distribution and transport of bacteria and diatoms in the aqueous surface microlayers of a Massachusetts and San Francisco Bay salt marsh were examined. The compression of the surface films by both tide and wind resulted in significant enrichments of bacterioneuston. At the San Francisco Bay site, significant numbers of diatoms were transported within the microlayer over a tidal cycle. 相似文献
9.
胶州湾内外的涨、落潮三角洲上发育有一定规模的潮流沙脊体系,通过多波束调查采集数据和浅剖、沉积物资料的分析,对沙脊特征进行了研究。湾内涨潮三角洲上分别分布有冒岛沙脊、中央沙脊和岛耳河沙脊;湾外落潮三角洲上分别发育了潮流沙脊大竹、南沙、北沙和位于主潮流通道末端的弧状沙脊。潮流沙脊体系的演变具有较为明显的继承性。沙脊以海侵时期发育的沙体为内核,沉积物组成以粒度较粗的砂质沉积物为主,物源基础为低海平面时期胶州湾盆地内堆积的河流三角洲相沉积物。据分析,沙脊现代物源较为匮乏,整体目前处于冲刷不淤的状态。在现代潮流水动力条件下,研究区潮流沙脊处于活动状态。 相似文献
10.
C. A. Ruhl D. H. Schoellhamer R. P. Stumpf C. L. Lindsay 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2001,53(6):801
Analysis of suspended-sediment concentration data in San Francisco Bay is complicated by spatial and temporal variability. In situ optical backscatterance sensors provide continuous suspended-sediment concentration data, but inaccessibility, vandalism, and cost limit the number of potential monitoring stations. Satellite imagery reveals the spatial distribution of surficial-suspended sediment concentrations in the Bay; however, temporal resolution is poor. Analysis of thein situ sensor data in conjunction with the satellite reflectance data shows the effects of physical processes on both the spatial and temporal distribution of suspended sediment in San Francisco Bay. Plumes can be created by large freshwater flows. Zones of high suspended-sediment concentrations in shallow subembayments are associated with wind-wave resuspension and the spring-neap cycle. Filaments of clear and turbid water are caused by different transport processes in deep channels, as opposed to adjacent shallow water. Crown 相似文献
11.
12.
基于湛江湾口外海图地形资料,采用GIS与动力地貌分析的方法,研究了近50年来湛江湾口外落潮三角洲的冲淤变化特征,对湛江湾口外落潮三角洲的演变机制进行了探讨。湛江口外落潮三角洲体系包括口外东北浅滩、西南边滩及口门通道深槽。近50年来,东北浅滩东缘及滩顶出现了侵蚀后退,浅滩西缘和南缘呈淤积趋势,东北浅滩整体有西移南扩趋势;西南边滩有不同程度的侵蚀后退;口门通道深槽有所淤积。湛江湾口外落潮三角洲侵蚀与沿岸泥沙供给不足及人类活动影响有关,口门通道深槽淤积除与落潮三角洲侵蚀泥沙向西搬运有关外,还可能与湛江湾内围垦导致口门通道潮汐动力减弱有关。航道北侧东北浅滩变化对航道回淤的可能影响值得关注。 相似文献
13.
Based on the observed data in 1982- 1985 at Shuidong Bay area, west Guangdong Province, the morphodynamic processes of tidal inlet and ebb-tidal delta in the barrier-lagoon system are presented, including the dynamic features of tides and in the tidal inlet, the regional dyanmics and longshore sediment transport in the ebb-tidal delta, the genesis of the entrance bar, the recent erosion and deposition in the ebb-tidal delta and so on. The paper attempts to answer two questions, i. e., the stability of the tidal inlet and the feasibility of dredging on the entrance bar for the course of Shuidong Harbour. The results show that the stability of the tidal inlet is ideal and that dredging action on the entrance bar may be successful if dredging is deep enough and the course position reasonable. 相似文献
14.
James E. Cloern Andrea E. Alpine Brian E. Cole Raymond L.J. Wong James F. Arthur Melvin D. Ball 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1983,16(4):415-429
Phytoplankton dynamics in the upper reach of the northern San Francisco Bay estuary are usually characterized by low biomass dominated by microflagellates or freshwater diatoms in winter, and high biomass dominated by neritic diatoms in summer. During two successive years of very low river discharge (the drought of 1976-77), the summer diatom bloom was absent. This is consistent with the hypothesis that formation of the diatom population maximum is a consequence of the same physical mechanisms that create local maxima of suspended sediments in partially-mixed estuaries: density-selective retention of particles within an estuarine circulation cell. Because the estuary is turbid, calculated phytoplankton growth rates are small in the central deep channel but are relatively large in lateral shallow embayments where light limination is less severe. When river discharge falls within a critical range (100–350 m3 s?1) that positions the suspended particulate maximum adjacent to the productive shallow bays, the population of neritic diatoms increases. However, during periods of high discharge (winter) or during periods of very low discharge (drought), the suspended particulate maximum is less well-defined and is uncoupled (positioned downstream or upstream) from the shallow bays of the upper estuary, and the population of neritic diatoms declines. Hence, the biomass and community composition of phytoplankton in this estuary are controlled by river discharge. 相似文献
15.
Martina A. Doblin Stephen B. Baines Lynda S. Cutter Gregory A. Cutter 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2006,67(4):681-694
As part of a study of estuarine selenium cycling, we measured the concentration, chemical form (speciation), and distribution of particulate selenium under various river flow conditions in the North San Francisco Bay (from the Golden Gate to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers). We also conducted laboratory studies on the accumulation of selenium by phytoplankton, the critical first step in the transformation of dissolved to particulate selenium. Total particulate selenium concentration in the North SF Bay was relatively constant between high and low flow periods, ranging spatially from 0.05 to 0.35 nmol l−1 and comprising between 5 and 12% of the total water column selenium inventory. Mean concentrations were generally highest in the Carquinez Strait–Suisun Bay region (salinity 0–17) and lowest in Central Bay. However, selenium content of suspended particles varied with river flow, with higher content during low flow (9.76 ± 4.17 nmol g−1; mean ± sd; n = 67) compared to high flow (7.10 ± 4.24 nmol g−1; n = 39). Speciation analyses showed that most particulate selenium is organic selenide (45 ± 27%), with a smaller proportion (typically <30%) of adsorbed selenite + selenate and a varying proportion (35 ± 28%) of elemental selenium. Based on the amount of elemental selenium in the seston (total suspended material), we calculate that resuspension of estuarine sediments could contribute 29–100% of particulate selenium in the water column. While selenium content of SF Bay seston (>0.4 μm) is relatively unenriched compared to phytoplankton (13.6–155 nmol g−1 dry weight) on a mass basis, when normalized to carbon or nitrogen, seston contains a similar selenium concentration to SF Bay sediments or phytoplankton cultures. SF Bay seston is thus comprised of selenium-rich phytoplankton and phyto-detritus, but also inorganic clay mineral particles that effectively “dilute” total particulate selenium. Selenium concentrations in algal cultures (11 species) exposed to 90 nmol l−1 selenite show relatively large differences in selenium accumulation, with the diatoms, chlorophytes and cryptophytes generally having lower selenium cell content (3.8 ± 2.7 × 10−9 nmol selenium cell−1) compared to the dinoflagellates (193 ± 73 × 10−9 nmol selenium cell−1). Because phytoplankton are such a rich (but variable) source of selenium, their dynamics could have a profound effect on the particulate selenium inventory in the North SF Bay. 相似文献
16.
Evidence for sediment recirculation on an ebb-tidal delta of the East Frisian barrier-island system, southern North Sea 总被引：2，自引：2，他引：0
The Otzum ebb-tidal delta, located between Langeoog and Spiekeroog islands along the East Frisian barrier-island coast, southern
North Sea, was investigated with respect to its morphological evolution, sediment distribution patterns and internal sedimentary
structures. Bathymetric charts reveal that, over the last 50 years, the size of the Otzum ebb-tidal delta has slightly shrunk,
while sediment has accreted on the ebb-delta lobe to the east of the main inlet channel (west of Spiekeroog). Swash bars superimposed
on the eastern ebb-tidal shoal (Robben Plate) have migrated south or south-eastwards, i.e. towards the inlet throat. The main
ebb-delta body is composed of fine quartz sand, whereas the superimposed swash bars and the inlet channel bed consist of medium-grained
quartz sand containing high proportions of coarser bioclastic material. Internal sedimentary structures in short box-cores
(up to 30 cm long) are dominated by flood-oriented cross-beds. Longer vibro-cores (up to 1.5 m long) show that, at depth,
the sediment is dominated by storm-generated parallel (upper plane bed) laminations with intercalated shell layers and dune
cross-bedding. The cross-bedded sands in both box-cores and vibro-cores from the ebb-delta shoal predominantly dip towards
the south or southeast, indicating transport towards the inlet throat by the flood current. The observations demonstrate that,
contrary to previous contentions, the sediments of the highly mobile swash bars do not bypass the inlet but are instead being
continually recirculated by the combined action of tidal currents and waves. In this model, the cycle begins with both fine
and medium sands, including shell hash, being transported seawards in the main ebb channel until they reach the shallow ebb-delta
front. From here, the sediment is pushed onto the eastern ebb-delta shoal by the flood current assisted by waves, becoming
strongly size-sorted in the process. The medium sands together with the shell hash are formed into swash bars which migrate
along arcuate paths over a base of fine sand back to the main ebb channel located south of the ebb delta. By the same token,
the fine sand between the swash bars is transported south-eastwards by the flood current in the form of small dunes until
it cascades into the large flood channel located to the west of Spiekeroog. From here, the fine sand is fed back into the
main ebb channel, thus completing the cycle. No evidence was found on the ebb delta for alongshore sediment bypassing. 相似文献
17.
Effect of native and invasive cordgrass on Macoma petalum density, growth, and isotopic signatures 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
Ecosystem engineers can influence community and ecosystem dynamics by controlling resources, modifying the flow of energy or biomass, or changing physical characteristics of the habitat. Invasive hybrid cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora × Spartina foliosa) is an ecosystem engineer in salt marshes in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A. that raises intertidal elevations and may be either increasing C4 plant carbon input into food webs or tying up carbon in a form that is not usable by consumers. A manipulative experiment compared abundance, growth, and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) composition of the clam Macoma petalum (=M. balthica) among native marsh, hybrid Spartina, and mudflats in central San Francisco Bay. We found higher densities (individuals m−2) of M. petalum on mudflats compared to either native or hybrid Spartina (p < 0.001). Macoma petalum shell growth was significantly greater in mudflats than in either vegetation type in 2002 (p = 0.005) but not 2003. Differences in shell growth between native and hybrid Spartina were not significant. Stable isotope results showed differences between habitats in δ13C but not δ15N. Carbon signatures of M. petalum placed in Spartina were much more depleted than the isotopic signature of Spartina. Neither native nor hybrid Spartina appears to be a significant carbon source for M. petalum in San Francisco Bay, and we found no evidence that hybrid Spartina contributes carbon to M. petalum beyond what is provided by S. foliosa, despite the hybrid's much greater biomass. Our results show that loss of mudflat habitat, rather than increased input of C4 carbon, is the greatest effect of the invasion of hybrid Spartina on M. petalum. 相似文献
18.
S. García-Gil E. de Blas N. Martínez-Carreño J. Iglesias R. Rial-Otero J. Simal-Gándara A.G. Judd 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2011
Ría de Vigo is a river valley flooded by the sea, with a bay (San Simón Bay) at its innermost part. The accumulation of Holocene sediment in San Simón Bay has been studied by the integration of 1) large scale high resolution seismic data, and 2) detailed geochemical analysis of a gravity core. In San Simón Bay the majority of the seismic records are obscured by acoustic turbidity which represents gassy sediments, but on records from Rande Strait it is possible to distinguish two Quaternary seismic sequences; an Upper Pleistocene sequence (SQ1) and a Holocene sequence (SQ2). Only SQ2 is recognized in San Simón Bay where it is comprised of two seismic units; the upper unit represents the HST sediment, i.e. the period of highest sea level. A gravity core taken within the gassy zone at 10 m water depth provided 3.55 m of fine-grained sediments (muds) from the youngest seismic unit (4 m thick). Geochemical analysis show high values (4 to 10%) of TOC. Sediment and porewater analyses indicate a distinct sulphate–methane transition zone (SMTZ) between 60 and 80 cm where sulphate is depleted (to <1.7 mM) and methane increases (to >0.4 mM). The top of the acoustic turbidity (the gas front) at 80 cm corresponds to the lower limit of the SMTZ. The methane cannot have been derived from the underlying metamorphic and granitic rocks, but was probably derived by microbial degradation of the organic matter in the Holocene sediments. We estimate that the sediments of the Bay contain approximately 1.8 × 106 m3 of organic carbon and 275 ton of methane. 相似文献
19.
Frederic H. Nichols 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1985,21(3):379-388
Among the consequences of extremely low river flow into northern San Francisco Bay during a two-year drought were (1) a gradual increase in salinity, (2) an unusual decline in chlorophyll a concentration, and (3) the upstream migration of estuarine benthic invertebrates to the normally brackish area of the bay. Total abundance in the benthos at a shallow monitoring site increased from a normal 2000 to greater than 20 000 individuals m?2 during the summer of 1977, presumably in response to the increased salinity. Estimated filtration rates derived from equations in the literature for one of the species, the suspended-feeding bivalve Mya arenaria ranged from 1 to 4 m3 m?2 day?1 during 1977 depending on abundance and mean size on sampling dates. Because water depth at this site is less than 2 m, Mya could have filtered all of the particles (including diatoms) from the water column on the order of once per day. Several other immigrant species undoubtedly contributed to the removal of particles from the near-bottom water as well. Increased benthic grazing, therefore, could have accounted for the anomalously low phytoplankton biomass observed during the drought. These results suggest that during periods of prolonged low river flow and increased salinity benthic food webs could become more important than planktonic food webs in the upper part of the estuary. 相似文献
20.
Anomalous morphological features within large estuaries may be: (1) recorders of external forces that periodically overwhelm the normal morphodynamic responses to estuarine energy fluxes, and (2) possible predictors of cycles of future coastal change. At the entrance to Willapa Bay, Washington, chronic beach erosion and frequent coastal flooding are related to the historical northward channel migration that destroyed the protective sand spits of Cape Shoalwater. Northward channel migration since the late 1800s conforms to the long-term net sediment transport direction. What requires explanation is periodic southward relocation of the trunk channel by as much as 5 km, and attendant construction of moderately large sand spits on the north side of the bay such as Kindred Island, Tokeland Peninsula, and Cape Shoalwater.Both autocyclic and allocyclic processes may have been responsible for trunk channel realignment and associated spit deposition. Channel recycling may occur when the main channel becomes overextended to the north and the tidal flow is inefficient because of its decreased gradient and increased susceptibility to shoaling by the growth and migration of tidal sand ridges. Under those conditions trunk channel relocation would be facilitated by increased wave heights and water levels of El Niño winter storms. However, co-seismic subsidence is the most likely mechanism for abruptly increasing sand supply and longshore transport that would favor discrete periods of channel relocation and spit deposition. Unless external forcing changes sand supply and predominant sediment transport directions in the future, the relative rise in sea level, frequent winter storms, and local deficit in the sand budget assure that beach erosion will continue at the mouth of this large estuary. 相似文献