Potential gain and loss of sand by some sand banks in the Southern Bight of the North Sea

Abstract

A detailed echo-sounding and side-scan sonar survey has shown that sand banks in the Southern Bight of the North Sea have rounded heads in the approximate “upstream” direction and tapered tails in the approximate “downstream” direction of net regional sand transport. Thus, the plan view of sand banks can be used as an indicator of the approximate direction of net sand transport. Sand-wave aprons occur in front of the heads and “downstream” of the tails of the sand banks. The asymmetry of the sand waves implies that sand is being added to sand-wave aprons at the heads and to the “upstream” flanks of these sand banks, but is shed from the “downstream” sand-wave aprons. There is no evidence for a closed sand circulation on the banks.