Abstract
Several important mechanisms for storm-induced entrainment of estuarine cohesive sediments are analyzed using field measurements collected in a moderately energetic estuary, central Long Island Sound, U.S.A. The sediment concentration and hydrographic data were obtained by an array of sensors mounted at 1 m above the bottom. The bottom sediment in the study site composed mostly of silt and silty sand. The study showed that the bottom shear stress, computed using a wave-current interaction model, increased significantly during the episodic wind events. A large resuspension event was triggered by a frontal passage when strong wind-driven currents augmented the tidal currents. The timing of storm waves with respect to the tidal phase also was a critical factor. Based on the changes of suspended sediment concentration, the bottom appeared to respond to the shear stress in two phases: the tidal resuspension and the storm-induced erosion. During each tidal cycle, entrainment was associated with resuspension of high water content, loosely consolidated material. During episodic events, a thin layer of more consolidated bed below the sediment-water interface was eroded by the enhanced bottom stress.
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Wang, Y., Bohlen, W.F. & O'Donnell, J. Storm Enhanced Bottom Shear Stress and Associated Sediment Entrainment in a Moderate Energetic Estuary. Journal of Oceanography 56, 311–317 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011155717622
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011155717622