MORPHODYNAMICS AT THE MOUTH OF A BAR-BUILT ESTUARY: CARMEL RIVER, CA, USA

Abstract

Bar-built estuaries (BBEs), also known as Intermittently Closed Estuaries (ICEs), are common to coastal climates with a strong seasonal precipitation pattern and waves including the US West Coast, Australia, South Africa, and Western Europe (McSweeney et al, 2017). In California, USA, these BBEs typically go through seasonal morphological transitions from a closed state to open state as precipitation increases during the winter months. However, timing of these events is challenging owing to variable behavior for given environmental forcing conditions, and as a result often lead to intermittent flooding of the surrounding areas that is difficult to predict (Behrens et al., 2013; Orescanin and Scooler, 2018). This study uses a compilation of observations using in-situ moorings, topographic beach surveys, and remote sensing from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to assess rates of morphological change at the Carmel River, CA, USA.