IMPACT OF THE SHIP WAVES AND TIDAL FORCES ON THE SEDIMENT RESUSPENSION IN INLAND WATERWAYS

Abstract

Ship movement in narrow intertidal waterways generate complex hydrodynamics and sediment resuspension along with tides. In order to investigate the complex hydrodynamics and induced sediment concentration, field measurements were performed at the Falta stretch of the Hooghly river, India. The low frequency primary waves and high frequency secondary waves are dominant in this region as ships navigate in subcritical range due to complex river bathymetry. The time-frequency analysis is a useful tool to separate the ship-generated waves with the tides. The modest performance of the existing empirical models led to the development of the new empirical models for the prediction of ship-generated primary waves. The tides are the dominant factor for the sediment resuspension during the spring period whereas the ship-induced waves are dominant in neap period. The overall contribution of the ship waves on sediment resuspension during the tenure of field measurement was 24.66percent.