Date of Award
12-2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Department
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Major Professor
Georgiou, Ioannis
Second Advisor
Kulp, Mark
Third Advisor
McCorquodale, J. Alex
Abstract
The Northern Gulf of Mexico and coastal Louisiana are experiencing accelerated relative sea level rise rates; therefore, the region is ideal for modeling the global affects of sea level rise (SLR) on estuarine dynamics in a transgressive barrier island setting. The field methods and numerical modeling in this study show that as barrier islands are converted to inner shoals, tidal exchange increases between the estuary and coastal ocean. If marshes are unable to accrete at a pace comparable to SLR, wetlands will deteriorate and the tidal exchange and tidal prism will further increase. Secondary to hurricanes, winter storms are a primary driver in coastal morphology in this region, and this study shows that wind direction and magnitude, as well as atmospheric pressure change greatly affect estuarine exchange. Significant wetland loss and winter storm events produce changes in local and regional circulation patterns, thereby affecting the hydrodynamic exchange and resulting transport.
Recommended Citation
Schindler, Jennifer, "Estuarine Dynamics as a Function of Barrier Island Transgression and Wetland Loss: Understanding the Transport and Exchange Processes" (2010). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1260.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1260
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.