2 Morphodynamics of Tidal Inlet Systems: 2.1 Tidal Environments: Bays, Lagoons and Estuaries

Chapter 2: Morphodymanics of tidal inlet systems
2 Morphodynamics of tidal inlet systems
2.1 Tidal environments: bays, lagoons and estuaries
Tidal conditions dominate where wave energy is relatively low. This may
occur due to restricted fetch or where offshore conditions trap or deflect
incident wave energy. Such environments include tidal bays, lagoons and
estuaries. Although there are affinities and overlaps between all three,
each one possesses a certain particular features related to how the wave
energy is dissipated, and there are also differences in the presence of fresh
and salted water (Carter, 1998).
Tidal lagoons are water bodies entrapped behind coastal barriers. They
have a surface or sub-surface connection with the sea allowing water
levels to be modulated by the tide, although considerable distortion and
attenuation of the tidal wave may occur within the confines of the lagoon.
There are many types of tidal lagoons from almost semi-enclosed bays to
near-estuaries with significant freshwater throughputs.
Estuaries are semi-enclosed water bodies, connected to the sea, within

which seawater is measurably diluted by freshwater. Interaction of two
chemically and physically different water masses gives rise to complex
sedimentological and biological process and patterns. An estuary is a
somewhat “hybrid” environment incorporating lake and ocean dynamics.
Estuaries, unlike river mouths, tend to be tide-dominated.
Tidal waves propagating into estuaries may be either progressive or

standing waves, or a mixture of the two. In long narrow estuaries a multi-
nodal standing wave and tide may develop.
2.2 Morphodynamics of barrier islands and tidal inlets
Barrier islands and tidal inlets might be considered as coast that is

extending in seaward direction, caused by marine deposition processes. A
barrier island is an elongated, essentially shore-parallel island protecting
the adjacent landmass from which it is separated by a shallow basin
(lagoon). An inlet is a short narrow channel connecting a bay or a lagoon
to the sea and it is maintained by tidal currents. Also, fluvial sediments
can be carried into the bay if a sediment-river discharge exists, and be
redistributed by tidal currents into the system, formed by barrier islands
and tidal inlets.
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2.2.1 Tidal basins
Tide-dominated coasts, with relatively stable inlets and basins, are

characterised by a large number of inlets having ebb and flood-tidal
deltas, giving access to tidal basins. These were created by breakthroughs
and flooding of coastal plains as sea level rose or by abandonee of river
branches forming deltas.
The morphology of tidal basins is characterised by a meandering, breaded

and/or branched system of channels, ebb and flood chutes, intertidal sand
and mud flats and marshes. Along barrier island coasts the basins are
often rectangular or near square, and the channel structure is often more
branched than braided. Not seldom, rivers discharge in tidal basins. When
this concerns to large rivers, the tidal basin is often funnel shaped, and
the channel structure is more braided.
In case of a river discharge, there exists a transitional region in the basin

between salt and fresh water. In the case of small and medium discharges,
the salt-fresh water transition region is located near the river mouth
(which is called estuary). In the more seaward region, the tidal water
motion dominates and the water is mainly saline. In the more landward
region, the river flow dominates and the water is mainly fresh. Then,
there exist a pressure gradient due to differences in density (salt and fresh
water) which creates a vertical flow circulation, called estuarine
circulation. Along the bottom, the flow is net landward while, in the
surface, it is seaward. This phenomenon helps turbidity maximum occur,
it is a concentration of fine sediments at the end of the salt water wedge.
Compared to tidal waves, basins can be short, in this case the wave is
reflected and it has a standing character (as a steady wave), or it can be
long enough so the tidal wave resonates. In the case of a basin with a
small length compared to the tidal wave length, the water level inside and
outside of the inlet will rise and fall almost simultaneously, which means
that the length of the tide wave will not be taken into account (De Vriend,
2002). In this report we will focus on short basins.
Also, inside the tidal basin there exists a morphologic activity, especially
driven by the interaction between bottom morphology and tidal motion.
This causes a complex structure of residual circulations, which are both
cause and result of the morphologic structure of the basin.
Within the basin, the tide is deformed by bottom friction and other non-
linear effects associated with the basin geometry. This tidal distortion
causes the tidal asymmetry. It greatly impacts on the net movement of
sediment, and also influences to the turbidity maximum, which is
10
determined by the tidal asymmetry. Therefore, tides are the main cause of
sediment transport in a tidal basin.
Examples of tide-dominated coastal systems are the Thames, the Elbe,

the Schelde, the Seine, the Yangtse among others.
2.2.2 The ebb tidal delta or outer delta
A typical ebb tidal delta includes a main ebb channel, channel margin
linear bars, a terminal lobe, swash platforms and bars, and marginal flood
channels. The channel margin linear bars are deposits built up by the
interaction between flood and ebb tidal currents, with wave generated
currents. However, in some inlets, just like the Dutch ones, there are wide
flats instead. We present a figure where different elements of a delta are
represented:
Figure 2-1 Ebb and flood tidal delta

(Stive et al., 2001)
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The occurrence of ebb and flood dominated tidal channels is of prime

importance to the morphology of the ebb tidal delta. This phenomenon can
be explained by the time-velocity asymmetry of tidal currents: the
maximum ebb and flood currents do not occur at mid tide. The overall
morphology of the ebb tidal delta depends on the interaction of tidal
currents and waves. Generally speaking, the morphology of the ebb tidal
delta is determined by the dynamic balance between a net offshore
directed sediment flux induced by the inlet currents and a net onshore
directed sediment flux induced by offshore waves.
2.2.3 Modelling tidal inlet systems
The ability to understand and predict the morphological behaviour of

barrier island coasts, tidal inlets and basins, is an important issue in
coastal zone management. In the recent years, there have been developed
several mathematical models. Because of the complexity of the system,
physical scale modelling is a very difficult challenge, especially when it
concerns long-term morphological evolution.
Tidal inlets have come within the reach of mathematical modellers. It has
become possible to model many of the complex physical processes (waves,
currents, sediment transport, morphological changes) which take place in
the vicinity of an inlet. Such models enable researchers to develop and test
hypotheses on how an inlet system works, and to identify the most
important knowledge gaps. Also, the response of a given inlet system can
be analysed, for instance, to propose engineering measures.
Despite of the computer power, which is available at present, much of the

empirical knowledge on the morphological state of tidal inlets cannot yet
be reproduced by these models.
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2 Morphodynamics of Tidal Inlet Systems: 2.1 Tidal Environments: Bays, Lagoons and Estuaries

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Chapter 2: Morphodymanics of tidal inlet systems

2 Morphodynamics of tidal inlet systems

2.1 Tidal environments: bays, lagoons and estuaries

Estuaries are semi-enclosed water bodies, connected to the sea, within

Tidal waves propagating into estuaries may be either progressive or

2.2 Morphodynamics of barrier islands and tidal inlets

Barrier islands and tidal inlets might be considered as coast that is

2.2.1 Tidal basins

Tide-dominated coasts, with relatively stable inlets and basins, are

The morphology of tidal basins is characterised by a meandering, breaded

In case of a river discharge, there exists a transitional region in the basin

Examples of tide-dominated coastal systems are the Thames, the Elbe,

2.2.2 The ebb tidal delta or outer delta

Figure 2-1 Ebb and flood tidal delta

The occurrence of ebb and flood dominated tidal channels is of prime

2.2.3 Modelling tidal inlet systems

The ability to understand and predict the morphological behaviour of

Despite of the computer power, which is available at present, much of the

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