Date of Award
12-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Earth & Environmental Science
Department
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Major Professor
Ioannis Georgiou
Second Advisor
Mark Kulp
Third Advisor
Mike Miner
Abstract
High energetic storms import sediment to back-barrier bays and marshes and produce a perennial footprint that contributes to the long-term evolution of the inner shelf, bays, and marsh platform. The magnitude of sedimentation in back-barrier bays and marshes varies with storm characteristics (e.g., storm intensity, forward speed, size, and track). However, quantifying the impacts of storm characteristics on the sediment exchange between the inner shelf, bays, and marshes and documenting the resulting net sediment import and export patterns across these interfaces remains largely unexplored. Here we applied a calibrated Delft3D hydrodynamics and sediment transport model to a microtidal bay-marsh complex in the central coast of Louisiana. The study quantifies the contributions of a suite of storms with varying storm characteristics to evaluate resulting sediment exchange volumes and assess bay/marsh sediment deposition. Model results show that storm forward speed and intensity are the chief and dominant storm characteristics that control sediment exchange between the inner shelf – bay – marsh environments, while other storm characteristics like storm size and track play a secondary role. Finally, shelf – bay – marsh sediment exchange volumes correlate non-linearly with storm intensity and forward speed.
Recommended Citation
Sakib, Md Mohiuddin, "Storm Intensity and Forward Speed Controls on Back-barrier and Shoreface Sediment Dynamics along the Louisiana Coast" (2022). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 3046.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/3046
Included in
Climate Commons, Geomorphology Commons, Sedimentology Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
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.