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Fine sediment transport and accumulations at the mouth of the Seine estuary (France)

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Abstract

A comprehensive study of fine sediment transport in the macrotidal Seine estuary has been conducted, including observations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), surficial sediment, and bathymetric data, as well as use of a three dimensional mathematical model. Tide, river regime, wind, and wave forcings are accounted. The simulated turbidity maximum (TM) is described in terms of concentration and location according to tidal amplitude and the discharge of the Seine River. The TM is mainly generated by tidal pumping, but can be concentrated or stretched by the salinity front. The computed deposition patterns depend on the TM location and are seasonally dependent. The agreement with observations is reasonable, although resuspension by waves may be overestimated. Although wave resuspension is likely to increase the TM mass, it generally occurs simultaneously with westerly winds that induce a transverse circulation at the mouth of the estuary and then disperse the suspended material. The resulting effect is an output of material related to wind and wave events, more than to high river discharge. The mass of the computed TM remains stable over 6 months and independent of the river regime, depending mainly on the spring tide amplitude. Computed fluxes at different cross-sections of the lower estuary show the shift to the TM according to the river flow and point out the rapidity of the TM adjustment to any change of river discharge. The time for renewing the TM by riverine particles has been estimated to be one year.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, Centre de Brest, BP 70 29280, Plouzane, France

    Pierre Le Hir, Ricardo Silva Jacinto & Philippe Cugier

  2. Service de la Navigation de la Seine, 71 Avenue J. Chastellain, 76100, Rouen, France

    Andre Ficht

  3. Laboratoire de Morphodynamique, Université de Caen, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032, Caen Cedex, France

    Patrick Lesueur

  4. Department de Géologie, Université de Rouen, 76821, Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France

    Jean-Paul Dupont & Robert Lafite

  5. Centre Littoral de Géophysique, Université de la Rochelle, Avenue Marillac, 17042, La Rochelle, France

    Isabelle Brenon

  6. Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, centre de Toulon, Zone Portuaire de Brégaillon, B.P. 330, 83507, La Seyne sur Mer, France

    Benedicte Thouvenin

Authors
  1. Pierre Le Hir
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  2. Andre Ficht
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  3. Ricardo Silva Jacinto
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  4. Patrick Lesueur
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  5. Jean-Paul Dupont
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  6. Robert Lafite
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  7. Isabelle Brenon
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  8. Benedicte Thouvenin
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  9. Philippe Cugier
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Hir, P.L., Ficht, A., Jacinto, R.S. et al. Fine sediment transport and accumulations at the mouth of the Seine estuary (France). Estuaries 24, 950–963 (2001). https://doi.org/10.2307/1353009

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1353009

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