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A mathematical model of spit growth and barrier elongation: Application to Fire Island Inlet (USA) and Badreveln Spit (Sweden)

Le Xuan, Hoan LU ; Hanson, Hans LU ; Larson, Magnus LU and Kato, Shigeru (2011) In Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 93(4). p.468-477
Abstract
A mathematical model of spit growth and barrier elongation adjacent to an inlet (of arbitrary width), supplied by sediment coming from longshore sediment transport, was developed based on the spit growth model proposed by Kraus (1999). The fundamental governing equation is the conservation equation for sand, where the width of the spit is assumed constant during growth. The portion of the longshore sediment transport feeding the spit has been estimated based on the ratio between the depth of the inlet channel and the depth of active longshore transport. Sediment transport from the channel due to the inlet flow, as well as other sinks of sand (e.g., dredging), are taken into account. Measured data on spit elongation at Fire Island Inlet,... (More)
A mathematical model of spit growth and barrier elongation adjacent to an inlet (of arbitrary width), supplied by sediment coming from longshore sediment transport, was developed based on the spit growth model proposed by Kraus (1999). The fundamental governing equation is the conservation equation for sand, where the width of the spit is assumed constant during growth. The portion of the longshore sediment transport feeding the spit has been estimated based on the ratio between the depth of the inlet channel and the depth of active longshore transport. Sediment transport from the channel due to the inlet flow, as well as other sinks of sand (e.g., dredging), are taken into account. Measured data on spit elongation at Fire Island Inlet, United States, and at Badreveln Spit, Sweden, were used to validate the model. The simulated results agree well with the measured data at both study sites, where spit growth at Fire Island was restricted by the inlet flow and the growth at Badreveln Spit was unrestricted. The model calculation for Fire Island Inlet indicates that the dredging to maintain channel navigation is the major reason for the stable period observed from 1954 to 1994 at the Fire Island barrier. The average annual net longshore transport rate at the eastern side of the Fire Island inlet obtained in this study was about 220,000 m(3)/yr, of which approximately 165,000 m(3)/yr (75% of the net longshore transport) is deposited in the inlet feeding the spit growth, whereas the remaining portion (25%) is bypassed downdrift through the ebb shoal complex. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Mathematical model, Numerical model, Sediment transport, Tidal inlet, Spit growth, Barrier elongation
in
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
volume
93
issue
4
pages
468 - 477
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000293486500021
  • scopus:79960236130
ISSN
1096-0015
DOI
10.1016/j.ecss.2011.05.033
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
140d121d-74c9-46c7-ae8b-f412e1d45e9c (old id 2163031)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:27:36
date last changed
2022-01-25 23:26:13
@article{140d121d-74c9-46c7-ae8b-f412e1d45e9c,
  abstract     = {{A mathematical model of spit growth and barrier elongation adjacent to an inlet (of arbitrary width), supplied by sediment coming from longshore sediment transport, was developed based on the spit growth model proposed by Kraus (1999). The fundamental governing equation is the conservation equation for sand, where the width of the spit is assumed constant during growth. The portion of the longshore sediment transport feeding the spit has been estimated based on the ratio between the depth of the inlet channel and the depth of active longshore transport. Sediment transport from the channel due to the inlet flow, as well as other sinks of sand (e.g., dredging), are taken into account. Measured data on spit elongation at Fire Island Inlet, United States, and at Badreveln Spit, Sweden, were used to validate the model. The simulated results agree well with the measured data at both study sites, where spit growth at Fire Island was restricted by the inlet flow and the growth at Badreveln Spit was unrestricted. The model calculation for Fire Island Inlet indicates that the dredging to maintain channel navigation is the major reason for the stable period observed from 1954 to 1994 at the Fire Island barrier. The average annual net longshore transport rate at the eastern side of the Fire Island inlet obtained in this study was about 220,000 m(3)/yr, of which approximately 165,000 m(3)/yr (75% of the net longshore transport) is deposited in the inlet feeding the spit growth, whereas the remaining portion (25%) is bypassed downdrift through the ebb shoal complex. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Le Xuan, Hoan and Hanson, Hans and Larson, Magnus and Kato, Shigeru}},
  issn         = {{1096-0015}},
  keywords     = {{Mathematical model; Numerical model; Sediment transport; Tidal inlet; Spit growth; Barrier elongation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{468--477}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science}},
  title        = {{A mathematical model of spit growth and barrier elongation: Application to Fire Island Inlet (USA) and Badreveln Spit (Sweden)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2011.05.033}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ecss.2011.05.033}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}