DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM AND MORPHOLOGICAL STABILITY OF IDEALIZED TIDAL INLETS USING PROCESS-BASED MODELLING

Abstract

Over the last decades, efforts have been undertaken to identify the equilibrium and stability state of tidal inlets and to model different morphological time scales and spatial scales of tidal inlet systems using data based models and behaviour based models (De Vriend et al., 1993). These include empirical relationships, such as the tidal prism cross-sectional area relationship (O’Brien 1931; Jarrett 1976; Stive et al. 2009), closure criteria (Escoffier, 1940) and semi-empirical long-term models such as ASMITA (Stive et al., 1998). But better understanding of the underlying processes of tidal inlet evolution toward equilibrium requires detailed information of the hydrodynamics and sedimentary processes at the tidal inlet and in the vicinity of the inlet on short-term and long-term time scales. For this purpose in this study, a processbased model (Delft3D) is used to simulate the morphological evolution of tidal inlets, including basin, ebb and flood delta, forced by various hydraulic conditions.