Modeling Sediment Suspensions in an Idealized Tidal Embayment: Importance of Tidal Asymmetry and Settling Lag

Abstract

Suspended sediment transport processes in a short tidal embayment with a simple geometry are investigated using analytic and numerical models. On the basis of numerical results, the horizontal gradient of depth-averaged suspended sediment concentration can be parameterized with a combination of the first harmonic and mean. Using the parameterization, the solution of the analytic model is obtained. Evaluation of the major terms from the solution of the analytic model shows that a quarter-diurnal frequency is significant near the mouth while a semidiurnal component dominates the interior area. The settling lag consists of local and nonlocal components. The local phase lag is a function of the ratio between tidal period and settling time. The nonlocal phase lag is determined by the phase difference between tidal velocity and the horizontal gradient of sediment concentration and by the strength of erosion and horizontal advection.