Comparable short-term morphodynamics of three estuarine–coastal systems in the southwest coastal region of England, UK

• Published in: Regional studies in marine science Vol. 31; p. 100749
• Main Authors: Oyedotun, Temitope D. Timothy, Burningham, Helene
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Bedforms; climate; coasts; Contemporary behaviour; England; Estuaries; estuarine sediments; LiDAR; littoral zone; marine science; mining; Morphodynamics; shorelines; storms; surveys; topography; England; Estuaries; Morphodynamics; Contemporary behaviour; LiDAR; Bedforms
• ISSN: 2352-4855; 2352-4855
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100749

Here, we describe and compare the changes in low tide channel position and the morphology of the three estuaries in southwest England from an analysis of contemporary (2008–2016) topographic surveys. The Hayle, Gannel, and Camel estuaries and their adjacent open-coast shorelines were subject of various studies in the past principally in terms of mining impacts on estuarine sediments and sedimentation, but no regional synthesis of the contemporary behaviour has yet been attempted. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data for the north coast of Cornwall are analysed for planform morphological changes of the systems. At the annual scale, intertidal bars and sandwaves migrate across the foreshore and into the inlet region, where flood-oriented and wave-forced movement is evident. This is evidenced at all the estuarine systems considered here. However, the steep upstream slope of the Hayle is almost devoid of bedforms, while the shallower upstream slope of the Gannel comprises similar scaled bedforms to the whole flood delta, and the megaripples of Camel flood delta are smaller on the backslope. Over the short-term covered by the LiDAR data considered here, there was no significant storm surges, and a relatively consistent wave climate. The occurrence of strong onshore wave conditions are possibly the drivers of contemporary behaviour, and with the inner estuary intertidal currents, for the movements of sediments within the estuarine environment, thereby causing the re-organisation of sediments and the shifting of channel position.