Dissertation

Morphodynamic equilibria in tidal inlet systems: sensitivity to geometrical variations

Author: Meerman, C.J.
Date: 30 March 2022
Links: Thesis in Leiden Repository

A tidal basin is an inland sea which is almost entirely enclosed by land and connected to the open sea by a tidal inlet. Through the tidal inlets interaction takes place between the tidal basin and the open sea. Due to the tide in the open water, the water level of the tidal basin is driven by the water level on the sea. The water flows from the open sea through the tidal inlet to the tidal basin and back. Sand particles are being transported with the water which affects the bottom of the tidal basin and the tidal inlet. The position of the bottom itself also influences the movement of the sand particles. Due to this interaction, interesting bottom patterns with a fractal structure occur. It is these kind of patterns which we analyse in this dissertation. Therefore, we construct an idealised morphodynamic model. With this model, we can find an expression for four important variables: the water level, the water velocity, the sand transport and the height of the bottom. We investigate the existence of these patterns. Also, their sensitivity to variations of geometry and various physical parameters is analysed. We consider tidal inlet system with a various number of tidal inlets.