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Fine Sediment Particle Transport in Estuaries

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Physical Processes in Estuaries

Abstract

The main sedimentary feature indicative of fine sediment transport in estuaries is the turbidity maximum. This is a dynamic feature within which suspended sediment concentrations vary with tidal state, with the lunar cycle, with river discharge, and seasonally. The turbidity maximum is a feature through which sediment is continually exchanged from one part of the estuary to another with small amounts being added from the rivers and the sea; though these inputs are on average balanced by accumulation. Individual particles may undergo many cycles of deposition and re-entrainment during their life in the turbidity maximum. The feature depends in a complex way on a combination of the tidal dynamics, the residual estuarine circulation, and the erosion and deposition of sediment, which depend upon the bed shear stress, as well as the erodability of the bed sediment. Examination of the suspended sediment fluxes in five estuaries leads to the conclusion that the major factor in generating and supporting the turbidity maximum is the phase lag with the current produced by entrainment and suspension of sediment.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. K. R. Dyer

    Present address: Institute of Marine Studies, Plymouth Polytechnic, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Bidston, UK

    K. R. Dyer

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  1. K. R. Dyer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tidal Waters Division, Rijkswaterstaat, P.O. Box 20907, 2500 EX, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Job Dronkers

  2. Estuaries and Seas Division, Delft Hydraulics, P.O. Box 177, 2600 MH, Delft, The Netherlands

    Wim van Leussen

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Dyer, K.R. (1988). Fine Sediment Particle Transport in Estuaries. In: Dronkers, J., van Leussen, W. (eds) Physical Processes in Estuaries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73691-9_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73691-9_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73693-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73691-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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