Modeling of channel patterns in short tidal basins

Marciano, R.; Wang, Z.B.; Hibma, A.; De Vriend, H.J.; Defina, A.

doi:doi:10.1029/2003JF000092

Modeling of channel patterns in short tidal basins

Title

Modeling of channel patterns in short tidal basins

Author

Marciano, R.
Wang, Z.B.
Hibma, A.
De Vriend, H.J.
Defina, A.

Faculty

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Department

Hydraulic Engineering

Date

2005-01-07

Abstract

We model branching channel patterns in short tidal basins with two methods. A theoretical stability analysis leads to a relationship between the number of channels and physical parameters of the tidal system. The analysis reveals that width and spacing of the channels should decrease as the slope of the bottom profile and the Shields parameter increase and as the mean water depth decreases. In general, the channel depth should halve at every bifurcation. These theoretical results agree well with the field data from the Dutch Wadden Sea. A numerical model based on Delft3D, a software system of WL/Delft Hydraulics, is used to simulate the time evolution of a channel network in a geometrically simplified basin of similar dimensions as the Wadden Sea basins. The resulting channel network displays a three-times branching behavior, similar to the three- to four-times branching patterns observed in the Wadden Sea. The simulated channel pattern satisfies the relation derived from the theoretical analysis. The results of this pattern analysis provide for additional validation of two-dimensional/three-dimensional process-based morphodynamic models of tidal basins.

Subject

estuaries
morphology
numerical model

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4fb8d283-7df6-4598-a3b9-379e40fd13f4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JF000092

Publisher

American Geophysical Union

ISSN

0148-0227

Source

http://europa.agu.org/?view=article&uri=/journals/jf/jf0501/2003JF000092/2003JF000092.xml