Effects of Heavy Rainfall on Sedimentation in the Tidal Salt Marsh of Suncheon Bay, South Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lee, Y.G.; Kim, S.; Jeong, D.U.; Kim, J.K., and Woo, H.J., 2013. Effects of heavy rainfall on sedimentation in the tidal salt marsh of Suncheon Bay, South Korea. Tide observations, geographic surveys, sediment composition, and sediment accretion rate monitoring were conducted to investigate the relationship between general pattern changes and control factors of the accretion rate at 10 localities of the tidal salt marsh of Suncheon Bay over 2 years (June 2007–May 2009). The substrate sediments of the tidal salt marshes that are distributed between the mean sea level and the high water of ordinary spring tide are mainly composed of silt (37.98%) and clay (60.45%) and have a high average annual accretion rate of 28.88 mm/y. The high substrate sedimentation of tidal salt marshes is caused by: (1) a high concentrated suspended sediment supply from the tidal flat; (2) considerable marsh grass vegetation; (3) undeveloped tidal salt marsh creek; and (4) marsh elevation distributed between the mean sea l...