Relationships Between Tidal Prism and Throat Area of Tidal Inlets Along Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea Coasts

The relationship between P (spring tidal prism) and A (throat area below mean sea level) is statistically analysed in terms of 29 tidal inlets or bays along the Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea) and Bohai Sea coasts. For 15 of these tidal inlets, the best regression equation is A(km2) = 0.845 />(km3)1.20. The analysis shows that C and n are little different from those in the P-A relationship for the inlets of the South China Sea and East China Sea coasts. It is noted that the relationship between P and A is unstable because of the difference in sediment abundance. The study shows that a united P-A relationship can be obtained for the tidal inlets of lagoon type and bay-drowned-valley type, not containing some half-circle shape bays which confront deep water. These half-circle bays do not belong to tidal inlets because they do not have enough sediment abundance and are fairly open.

Mean water level setup/setdown in the inlet-lagoon system induced by tidal action—a case study of Xincun Inlet,Hainan Island in China

With the tides propagating from the open sea to the lagoon, the mean water level （MWL） in the inlet and lagoon becomes different from that at the open sea, and a setup/setdown is generated. The change of MWL （setup/setdown） in the system imposes a great impact on regulating the development of tidal marshes, on determining the long-term water level for harbor maintenance, on the planning for the water front development with the flood control for the possible inundation, and on the interpretation of the historical sea level change when using tidal marsh peat deposits in the lagoon as the indicator for open sea＇ s sea level. In this case study on the mechanisms which control the setup/setdown in Xincun Inlet, Hainan in China, the 2-D barotropic mode of Eulerian - Lagrangian CIRCulation （ELCIRC） model was utilized. After model calibration and verification, a series of numerical experiments were conducted to examine the effects of bottom friction and advection terms, wetting and drying of intertidal areas, bathymetry and boundary conditions on the setup/setdown in the system. The modeling results show that setup occurs over the inlet and lagoon areas with an order of one tenth of the tide range at the entrance. The larger the bottom friction is, a larger setup is generated. Without the advection term, the setup is reduced clue to a decrease of water level gradient to compensate for the disappearance of the advection term. Even without overtides, a setup can still be developed in the system. Sea level rise and dredging in the inlet and tidal channel can cause a decrease of setup in the system, whereas shoaling of the system can increase the setup. The uniqueness of the Xincun Inlet with respect to MWL change is that there is no evident setdown in the inlet, which can be attributed to the complex geometry and bathymetry associated with the inlet system.

Process-based modeling of morphodynamics of a tidal inlet system

The morphodynamic evolution of an idealized inlet system is investigated using a 2-D depthaveraged process-based model,incorporating the hydrodynamic equations,Englund-Hansen’s sediment transport formula and the mass conservation equation.The model has a fixed geometry,impermeable boundaries and uniform sediment grain size,and driven by shore-parallel tidal elevations.The results show that the model reproduces major elements of the inlet system,i.e.,flood and ebb tidal deltas,inlet channel.Equilibrium is reached after several years when the residual transport gradually decreases and eventually diminishes.At equilibrium,the flow field characteristics and morphological patterns agree with the schematized models proposed by O’Brien （1969） and Hayes （1980）.The modeled minimum cross-sectional entrance area of the tidal inlet system is comparable with that calculated with the statistical P-A relationship for tidal inlets along the East China Sea coast.The morphological evolution of the inlet system is controlled by a negative feedback between hydrodynamics,sediment transport and bathymetric changes.The evolution rates decrease exponentially with time,i.e.,the system develops rapidly at an early stage while it slows down at later stages.Temporal changes in hydrodynamics occur in the system;for example,the flood velocity decreases while its duration increases,which weakens the flood domination patterns.The formation of the multi-channel system in the tidal basin can be divided into two stages;at the first stage the flood delta is formed and the water depth is reduced,and at the second stage the flood is dissected by a number of tidal channels in which the water depth increases in response to tidal scour.

Geomorphology of the Boao coastal system and potential effects of human activities-Hainan Island,South China

The Boao coastal system along the eastern coast of Hainan Island is a dynamic delta-tidal inlet-barrier formed during the late Holocene. The delta developed inside a shallow lagoon barred by a sandy barrier with a narrow, shallow tidal inlet opening. Two major distributary channels separated by small islands characterize the delta. The lagoon is silting up receiving and trapping sediments from both the river and, in minor measure during storms, through the tidal inlet opening and barrier washovers. The barrier at the tidal inlet is highly dynamic and changes its form, accreting (migrating spit) against the inlet during fair-weather conditions and being eroded during storms and river floods. The delta has almost completely filled the lagoon and major concerns exist on the effect that ongoing large development plans may have on the environment. These concerns include the effect on floods and rate of siltation once banks of the islands have been stabilized and floodwater and sediment load are impeded from spreading over the lowlands, and the effect of increasing pollutant loads from the new facilities on the ecosystems of the increasingly restricting lagoon water and on the seashores.

Development and Extension of An Aggregated Scale Model: Part 1–Background to ASMITA

Whilst much attention has been given to models that describe wave, tide and sediment transport processes in sufficient detail to determine the local changes in bed level over a relatively detailed representation of the bathymetry, far less attention has been given to models that consider the problem at a much larger scale （e.g. that of geomorphological elements such as a tidal fiat and tidal channel）. Such aggregated or lumped models tend not to represent the processes in detail but rather capture the behaviour at the scale of interest. One such model developed using the concept of an equilibrium concentration is the Aggregated Scale Morphological Interaction between Tidal basin and Adjacent coast （ASMITA）. In this paper we provide some new insights into the concepts of equilibrium, and horizontal and vertical exchange that are key components of this modelling approach. In a companion paper, we summarise a range of developments that have been undertaken to extend the original model concept, to illustrate the flexibility and power of the conceptual framework. However, adding detail progressively moves the model in the direction of the more detailed process-based models and we give some consideration to the boundary between the two.

Development and Extension of An Aggregated Scale Model:Part 2-Extensions to ASMITA

Whilst much attention has been given to models that describe wave, tide and sediment transport processes in sufficient detail to determine the local changes in bed level over a relatively detailed representation of the bathymetry, far less attention has been given to models that consider the problem at a much larger scale （e.g. that of geomorphological elements such as a tidal flat and tidal channel）. Such aggregated or lumped models tend not to represent the processes in detail but rather capture the behaviour at the scale of interest. One such model developed using the concept of an equilibrium concentration is the Aggregated Scale Morphological Interaction between Tidal basin and Adjacent coast （ASMITA）. In a companion paper （Part 1）, we detail the original model and provide some new insights into the concepts of equilibrium, and horizontal and vertical exchange that are key components of this modelling approach. In this paper, we summarise a range of developments that have been undertaken to extend the original model concept, to illustrate the flexibility and power of the conceptual framework. However, adding detail progressively moves the model in the direction of the more detailed process-based models and we give some consideration to the boundary between the two.

Developing a Process Driven Morphological Model for Long Term Evolution of a Dynamic Coastal Embayment

Numerical modelling of coastal morphology is a complex and sometimes unrewarding exercise and often not yielding tangible results. Typically, the underlying drivers of morphology are not properly accounted for in numerical models. Such inaccuracies combined with a paucity of validation data create a difficulty for coastal planners/engineers who are required to interpret such morphological models to develop coastal management strategies. This study develops an approach to long term morphological modelling of a barrier beach system that includes the findings of over 10 years of coastal monitoring on a dynamic coastal system. The novel approach to predicting the long term evolution of the area combines a mix of short term hydrodynamic monitoring and long term morphological modelling to predict future changes in a breached barrier system. A coupled wave, wind, hydrodynamic and sediment transport numerical model was used to predict the coastal evolution in the dynamic barrier beach system of Inner Dingle Bay, Co. Kerry, Ireland. The modelling approach utilizes the schematisation of inputs to reflect observed trends. The approach is subject to two stages of validation both quantitative and qualitative. The study highlights the importance of considering all the parameters responsible for driving coastal evolution and the necessity to have long term monitoring results for trend based validation.