Tidal Influence Research Articles

Meltwater‐Enhanced Nutrient Export From Greenland's Glacial Fjords: A Sensitivity Analysis

AbstractAs mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet accelerates, this modeling study considers how meltwater inputs to the ocean can impact marine ecosystems using a simplified fjord scenario. At marine‐terminating glaciers in Greenland fjords, meltwater can be delivered far below the sea surface, both as subglacial runoff (from atmosphere‐driven surface melt) and as basal melt (from ocean heat). Such delivery can result in buoyancy‐driven upwelling and the upward entrainment of nutrient‐rich deep water, which can support phytoplankton growth in fjord surface waters. For this study, we use an idealized fjord‐scale model to investigate which properties of glaciers and fjords govern the transport of buoyantly upwelled nutrients from fjords. We model the influence of fjord geometry, hydrology, wind, tides, and phytoplankton growth within the fjord on meltwater‐driven nutrient export to the ocean. We use the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) coupled to a buoyant plume model and a biogeochemical model to simulate physical and biogeochemical processes within an idealized tidewater glacial fjord. Results show that meltwater‐driven nutrient export increases with larger subglacial discharge rates and deeper grounding lines, features that are both likely to change with continued ice sheet melting. Nutrient export decreases with longer residence times, allowing greater biological drawdown. While the absence of a coastal current in the model setup prevents the downstream advection of exported nutrients, results suggest that shelf‐forced flows could influence nutrient residence time within fjords. This simplified model highlights key uncertainties requiring further observation to understand ecological impacts of Greenland mass loss.

Paleoenvironments, taphonomy, and stable isotopic content of the terrestrial, fossil-vertebrate–bearing sequence of the El Disecado Member, El Gallo Formation, Upper Cretaceous, Baja California, México

Abstract The Late Campanian (Late Cretaceous), upper part of the El Disecado Member, El Gallo Formation, Baja California, México, preserves a rich fossil assemblage of microvertebrates and macrovertebrates, silicified logs, macroscopic plant remains, and pollen that was likely deposited as the distal part of a subaerial fan. The unit was episodic and high energy, with its salient features deriving from active river channels and sheet, debris-flow deposits. Landscape stability is indicated by the presence of compound paleosol horizons, containing Fe2O3 mottling in B horizons, cutans, and calcium carbonate concretions. All of these features indicate wet/dry cyclicity in subsurface horizons, likely attributable to such cyclicity in the climate. Drainage was largely to the north and to a lesser extent, the west; however, some current flow to the south and east is preserved which, in conjunction with the proximal location of marginal marine deposits, suggest the influence of tides in this setting. The fossil vertebrates preserved in this part of the El Disecado Member are almost exclusively allochthonous, preserved as disarticulated isolated clasts in hydraulic equivalence in the braided fluvial system. A relatively diverse microvertebrate assemblage is preserved, the largest components of which are first, dinosaurs, and second, turtles. Non-tetrapod fossils are relatively uncommon, perhaps reflecting an absence of permanent standing water in this depositional setting. Here we report a high-precision U-Pb date of 74.706 + 0.028 Ma (2σ internal uncertainty), obtained from zircons in an airfall tuff. The tuff is located low within the sequence studied; therefore, most of the sedimentology and fossils reported here are slightly younger. This date, which improves upon previously published 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, ultimately allows for comparison of these El Gallo faunas and environments with coeval ones globally. Primary stable isotopic nodules associated with roots in the paleosols of the terrestrial portion of the El Disecado Member are compared with ratios from similar sources from coeval northern and eastern localities in North America. Distinctive latitudinal gradients are observed in both δ13C and δ18O, reflecting the unique southern and western, coastal geographic position of this locality. These differences are best explained by differences in the floras that populated the northern and eastern localities, relative to the southern and western floras reported here.

Performance evaluation of potential inland flood management options through a three-way linked hydrodynamic modelling framework for a coastal urban watershed

Abstract This study proposes a novel comprehensive hydrodynamic flood modelling framework over Mithi river watershed in Mumbai, India, a coastal urban area, to reduce the inundation extent by incorporation of different inland hydraulic scenarios. First, the study addresses the issue of data scarcity by adapting alternate robust techniques to estimate design rainfall, tidal elevation and discharge, the key inputs for a flood model. Following that, a three-way linked flood model has been developed in the MIKE FLOOD platform, considering river, stormwater, overland flow and tidal influence to generate flood inundation and subsequently hazard maps for various inland hydraulic scenarios, by incorporating different feasible cross-sections and lining materials. The flood inundation and hazard maps have been derived for 10-, 50- and 200-year return periods of design rainfall, discharge and tide to identify the best possible flood-reducing hydraulic scenario. It is observed that a ‘trapezoidal river cross-section lined with concrete’ relatively maximizes the reduction in flooding extent. The proposed framework can be implemented as an effective flood mitigation strategy in data-scarce, densely populated and space-constrained areas.

Hydrodynamic Condition Modeling along the North-Central Coast of Vietnam

An extremely dynamic morphology of the estuary is observed in the coastal regions of Vietnam under the governing processes of tides, waves, and river system flows. The primary target of this paper is to provide insight into the governing processes and morphological behavior of the NhatLe estuary, located in the north-central coast of Vietnam. Based on measured data from field surveys and satellite images combined with numerical model simulations of MIKE and Delft3D, the influences of seasonal river flow, tides, and wave dynamics on the sediment transport and morphological changes are fully examined. The study showed that freshwater flow in the flood season plays a central role in cutting off the southern sandspit, maintain and shaping the main channel. The prevailing waves in winter and summer induce longshore drift and sediment transport in the southeast to northwest direction. In the low flow season, this longshore sediment transport is dominant, causing sediment to deposit on the southern side of the ebb tidal delta and elongating the southern sandspit which narrows the estuary entrance and reorients the main channel.

An effort to study the influence of tides on the longitudinal variation of vertical E[formula omitted]B drift over the African sector

Meteorological processes such as tides influence ionospheric variability through vertical coupling. For the first time, we have used data from Communication Navigation Outage and Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite from 2008–2015 to develop a Neural Network (NN) vertical E×B drift model over the African region, with inclusion of a proxy of tides as one of the inputs together with other physical and geophysical inputs. Two models (with and without tidal proxy input) were developed for both East and West African sectors. To derive the tidal proxy, we first calculate the 60-day running means per year which were subtracted from the actual vertical E×B drift measurements to obtain a set of residuals. The purpose of the subtraction was to remove long-term trends in vertical E×B drift that could potentially alias into tides. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was then performed on the residuals per day to obtain amplitudes and phases which were used as tidal proxy representation in vertical E×B drift modelling. The developed model with tides’ proxy input showed an improvement of 22.2% and 16.7% over the East (38.8oE) and West (9.2oW) African sectors respectively. In most cases, the developed models were able to capture the diurnal patterns of vertical E×B drift including the expected pre-reversal enhancement. The performance of the two models during geomagnetically quiet days and storm periods was comparable but not similar.

Morphological evolution of bifurcations in tide-influenced deltas

Abstract. In river-dominated deltas, bifurcations often develop an asymmetrical morphology; i.e. one of the downstream channels silts up, while the other becomes the dominant one. In tide-influenced systems, bifurcations are thought to be less asymmetric and both downstream channels of the bifurcation remain open. The main aim of this study is to understand how tides influence the morphological development of bifurcations. By using a depth-averaged (2DH, two-dimensional horizontal) morphodynamic model (Delft3D), we simulated the morphological development of tide-influenced bifurcations on millennial timescales. The schematized bifurcation consists of an upstream channel forced by river discharge and two downstream channels forced by tides. Two different cases were examined. In the first case, the downstream channels started with unequal depth or length but had equal tidal forcing, while in the second case the morphology was initially symmetric but the downstream channels were forced with unequal tides. Furthermore, we studied the sensitivity of results to the relative role of river flow and tides. We find that with increasing influence of tides over river, the morphology of the downstream channels becomes less asymmetric. Increasing tidal influence can be achieved by either reduced river flow with respect to the tidal flow or by asymmetrical tidal forcing of the downstream channels. The main reason for this behaviour is that tidal flows tend to be less unequal than river flows when geometry is asymmetric. For increasing tidal influence, this causes less asymmetric sediment mobility and therefore transport in both downstream channels. Furthermore, our results show that bedload tends to divide less asymmetrically compared to suspended load and confirm the stabilizing effect of lateral bed slopes on morphological evolution as was also found in previous studies. We show that the more tide-dominated systems tend to have a larger ratio of bedload-to-suspended-load transport due to periodic low sediment mobility conditions during a transition between ebb and flood. Our results explain why distributary channel networks on deltas with strong tidal influence are more stable than river-dominated ones.

Comparative assessment of microplastics in water and sediment of a large European river

Aquatic ecosystems are globally contaminated with microplastics (MP). However, comparative data on MP levels in freshwater systems is still scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study is to quantify MP abundance in water and sediment of the German river Elbe using visual, spectroscopic (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) and thermo analytical (pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry) methods. Samples from eleven German sites along the German part of the Elbe were collected, both in the water and sediment phase, in order to better understand MP sinks and transport mechanisms. MP concentrations differed between the water and sediment phase. Sediment concentrations (mean: 3,350,000 particles m−3, 125–5000 μm MP) were in average 600,000-fold higher than water concentrations (mean: 5.57 particles m−3, 150–5000 μm MP). The abundance varied between the sampling sites: In sediments, the abundance decreased in the course of the river while in water samples no such clear trend was observed. This may be explained by a barrage retaining sediments and limiting tidal influence in the upstream parts of the river. Particle shape differed site-specifically with one site having exceptionally high quantities of spheres, most probably due to industrial emissions of PS-DVB resin beads. Suspended MP consisted predominantly of polyethylene and polypropylene whereas sediments contained a higher diversity of polymer types. Determined MP concentrations correspond well to previous results from other European rivers. In a global context, MP levels in the Elbe relate to the lower (water) to middle section (sediment) of the global range of MP concentrations determined for rivers worldwide. This highlights that elevated MP levels are not only found in single countries or continents, but that MP pollution is an issue of global concern.

Numerical Modeling of the Hydro-Morphodynamics of a Distributary Channel of the Po River Delta (Italy) during the Spring 2009 Flood Event

One-dimensional (1D) numerical models generally provide reliable results when applied to simulate river hydraulics and morphodynamics upstream of the tidal influence, given the predominantly unidirectional flow conditions. Such models, however, can also be used to reproduce river hydraulics across the fluvial to marine transition zone when specific conditions occur, as during high discharge events, and the results obtained via these simple modeling tools can provide indicative trends that may guide more structured and detailed modeling of a particularly critical area. In this study, the application of a 1D model setup with hydrologic engineering centers river analysis system (HEC-RAS) for simulating the hydro-morphodynamic conditions of a distributary channel of the Po River Delta (Italy) during a flooding event that occurred in Spring 2009 is presented. The channel bathymetry and the grainsize composition was taken from field measurements, while the dimension of the plume offshore the delta was derived from a MODIS image acquired at the peak of the flood. The comparison between the numerical outcomes and the field evidence shows the reliability of the proposed 1D modeling approach in representing the delta dynamics at a large scale, as well as in showing locations where more spatially detailed studies are needed. The code was also able to adequately reproduce the channel hydro-morphodynamics and the sediment data as derived from a core sample taken a few km offshore during the flooding event of April–May 2009. Through a sensitivity analysis, it is also proven that the dimension of the river plume can influence the evolution of the prodelta, while having a rather negligible effect inland, because of the major stresses induced by the high river discharge during the flood event.

Tidal influence in the determination of long-term trends in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere from LIDAR observations

Atmospheric temperature has both variations with time constants of order ½ year or longer, such as trends, annual and semiannual oscillation as well as variations with shorter time constants such as two-day waves, diurnal and semidiurnal tides, and gravity waves. Long-term amplitudes, such as trends and solar flux variations, have been determined from the time series of observed sodium lidar temperatures averaged over a night or a fixed 2-h interval by ignoring the short time-scale variations. Since during the twenty-eight years of the CSU/USU sodium lidar experiments diurnal and semi-diurnal temperature tides could be as much as 9 K and 18 K, respectively, it is particularly important to estimate their effects. We accept the Climatological Tidal Model of the Thermosphere (CTMT) and show that, for linear models, the tidal shift of trends depends upon (1) the times of observations, (2) averages of the short-time variations, and (3) the basis functions of the long-time variations, such as t, sin(2πt/1yr) and solar flux, but (4) not on observed temperatures. This allows planning experimental campaigns and analyses to reduce the tidal effects. We compare the tidal shifts of temperature trends and tidal shifts in the annual and semiannual amplitudes for CSU/USU experiments using 2-h averages (_2 MN) and nightly averages (_Ngt) using data from all times during the year and those restricted to different seasons. For example, the maximum tidal shifts in trends in temperatures, winds, and air density are predicted to occur at altitudes around 100 km. For the CSU/USU experiments the tidal shifts of temperature trends vary between 0 and 1.5 K/decade depending on altitude and annual/seasonal data used; between 85 and 100 km, they are much smaller for 2-h means (_2 MN) than for nightly means (_Ngt).

Nitrate Removal Within Heterogeneous Riparian Aquifers Under Tidal Influence

AbstractTides in coastal rivers drive river‐groundwater (hyporheic) exchange and provide opportunities for nitrate removal that may improve coastal water quality. Silt and sand layers in coastal floodplain sediments can alter the flow and transformation of nitrate. Our goal was to understand how sediment heterogeneity influences nitrogen dynamics near tidal rivers. Numerical simulations show that oxic, variably saturated sand layers and anoxic, organic‐rich silt layers are sites of nitrification and denitrification, respectively. The exchange of river water and nitrate through heterogeneous sediments increases with sand fraction, as sand lenses become longer and more connected. The amount of nitrate removed from river water also increases but represents a smaller portion of total nitrate exchange through the hyporheic zone, causing removal efficiency to decline. Our results suggest that accurate characterization of aquifer heterogeneity leads to an improved understanding of sites of nutrient transformation within floodplain sediments.

Ichnological analysis of the Lower Morne L'Enfer Formation, Cedros Bay, Trinidad, West Indies: evidence of delta asymmetry

The Pliocene Silt and Sandstone Members of the Lower Morne L'Enfer Formation at Cedros Bay, SW Trinidad, reflect mixed wave, fluvial and tidal influence. Integrated ichnological analyses of these deposits reveal that the prodelta and delta front successions vary notably along-strike. These along-strike variations fit well into an asymmetric delta model. Trace fossil assemblages on the downdrift side of the delta lobe are characterised by diminutive, morphologically simple and facies-crossing forms due to heightened riverine influence. Ichnofossil assemblages on the updrift side of the lobe are robust and diverse, as a result of persistent wave reworking, generally unstressed. Mud- and silt-dominated prodelta and delta front deposits in the downdrift region are characterised by a low abundance and low diversity trace fossil assemblage reflecting a stressed expression of the Cruziana ichnofacies. Slumping and scouring structures are common within the distal prodelta deposits. Prodelta to distal delta front intervals on the updrift side are densely bioturbated. These trace fossil assemblages are abundant and diverse, representing a proximal to archetypal expression of the Cruziana ichnofacies. These deposits coarsen upward into fine grained sandstone beds of the proximal delta front. Strong storm influence in the proximal delta front produced amalgamated tempestite beds void of bioturbation. Lower to middle shoreface deposits comprise fine grained sandstone dominated by robust burrows of suspension feeders attributable to a proximal expression of the Skolithos ichnofacies.

Estuarine morphology and depositional processes in front of lateral river-dominated outlets in a tide-dominated estuary: A case study of the Lingding Bay, South China Sea

This study examined estuarine morphology and depositional processes in front of lateral river-dominated outlets in a tide-dominated estuary, such as the Lingding Bay in South China Sea. The estuary receives sediments from four deltaic distributary outlets of the Pearl River Delta, of which three outlets (in the western part of the estuary) are river-dominated and one at the head is a tide-dominated inlet. The results obtained from an analysis of historical bathymetric maps and numerical experiments of the sediment dynamics are consistent and indicate that tides predominate the morphological shaping of the lateral river mouth shoals. Accordingly, the eastward progradation of the shoal areas decreased from the upper to lower estuary. The resultant estuarine morphology could be characterised by exponentially decreasing cross-sectional bathymetric areas from the lower to upper estuary. This morphological evolution occurred despite intensive human disturbances. Reduced tidal influences may enhance the southeastwardly deposition of riverine sediments, while increased influences would enhance the erosion of the lateral river mouth shoals. Furthermore, increased tidal influences enhance sediment resuspension and their eastward transportation towards the west trough of the bay, such that lesser sediments are deposited at the river mouth shoals. Hence, it can be concluded that lateral river-dominated outlets in a tide-dominated estuary like the Lingding Bay induce unique estuarine geomorphic features and sedimentary processes that are strongly influenced by tidal action.

The use of electrical resistivity tomograms as a parameterization for the hydraulic characterization of a contaminated aquifer

Hydraulic characterization of a contaminated aquifer is an important step in depollution processes because its hydraulic parameters control the choice and efficiency of the depollution protocol to be adopted. The characterization presented in this article uses a 3D electrical resistivity imagery to identify the spatial heterogeneities of a contaminated aquifer under tidal influence. Indeed, we use a 3D resistivity model as a source of information to parameterize the reconstruction of the hydraulic conductivity in 3D by inverting a set of hydraulic data acquired on the 13 monitored wells in response to two pumping tests. This parameterization relies on the identification of the main electro-facies in the resistivity model in the saturated zone, which will then be exploited in the hydraulic characterization to find their corresponding hydraulic conductivity values.This strategy of parameterization permits to reduce the number of the hydraulic conductivity parameters to be identified to eight hydro-facies, with a stochastic algorithm called the Adaptive Metropolis Algorithm. The hydraulic responses associated with the pumping tests are obtained once the natural effect of the tide is removed. The hydraulic conductivity model has permitted to highlight the main heterogeneities in the aquifer in which the hydraulic conductivity is ranging between [10-4.6, 10-2.8 m/s]. This range of variability reveals the permeable and smooth character of the aquifer in which the presence of coarse sand and flint blocks enhances its transmissivity. These permeable zones are electrically identified by resistive anomalies in the 3D electrical resistivity imaging.

Influence of climate and tides on the nesting behaviour of sea turtles

A combination of climatic and environmental factors influences, and potentially guides, certain life-history processes, such as breeding. Sea turtle females may wait offshore for the optimal conditions to nest, but these environmental cues remain mostly unknown. Our aim was to identify climatic and tidal influences on nesting for leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) and try to find any specific conditions that induced them to abort the nesting attempt. To assess these issues, the beach in Pacuare Nature Reserve, on the Caribbean Costa Rica, was monitored from 2010 to 2015. Models showed that high atmospheric pressure and wind speed favoured nesting but high rainfall discouraged successful nesting; high and low tides were negatively correlated with nesting, suggesting that turtles avoid nesting when tidal cycles reach their extremes. Overall, climatic features likely related to storm episodes, and extreme tidal ranges, appear to influence leatherbacks' nesting behaviour. Therefore, the steady increase in intense storm occurrence predicted by climatic projections might represent an additional obstacle to the survival of this species.

Groundwater flow and residence times below a meso-tidal high-energy beach: A model-based analyses of salinity patterns and 3H-3He groundwater ages

In this study, 3H-3He ages in the intertidal zone based on both field measurements and numerical simulations are presented to provide insights into the flow and transport behavior within the subterranean estuary of a meso-tidal, high-energy beach. In a systematic modelling approach, important hydrogeological parameters (dispersivity, hydraulic conductivity and fresh groundwater flux) were varied in a cross-shore transect at a beach on Spiekeroog Island in north-western Germany. Both measured and simulated salinity and age distribution within the intertidal zone suggest the existence of two– at least temporally occurring- saltwater recirculation cells accompanied by two fresh discharge location. This is in contrast to the state-of-the-art concept of a STE under tidal influence and is caused by a runnel and ridge system at the study site, which is a rather wide-spread type of beach morphology with topographical highs and interfering lows in the intertidal zone. Residence times within the two saline plumes were between weeks and several months. Freshwater from the island’s freshwater lens resided up to 18 years in the brackish beach aquifer before exfiltrating at the discharge points. Field measurements confirmed the discharge of decade-old water at the discharge points. Model results were highly dependent on the tested model parameters. A change between a one- and two-plume system, as well as overlapping conditions at the study site dependent on the change in beach topography are likely.

Controls on microbial and oolitic carbonate sedimentation and stratigraphic cyclicity within a mixed carbonate‐siliciclastic system: Upper Cambrian Wilberns Formation, Llano Uplift, Mason County, Texas, USA

AbstractThe upper Cambrian Wilberns Formation in central Texas records deposition on a low‐gradient shelf within a mixed carbonate–siliciclastic tidal‐flat system that changes offshore to subtidal shelf and open‐marine oolitic skeletal shoals with large microbial mounds. Siliciclastic sediment is interpreted to have been delivered to the tidal flat by aeolian processes because of the narrow range in grain size and paucity of clay. Tidal influence is dominant as evidenced by reversing currents and desiccation on the tidal flat, and megaripples with reversing current indicators in offshore shoals. Intraclastic conglomerates were deposited in broad channels on the tidal flats during storm surges. Microbialite deposition is interpreted to be controlled by accommodation favouring amalgamated thin biostromes developed in the tidal flat vs. larger mounds with greater synoptic relief in the offshore, and current energy resulting in preferential elongation of offshore mounds in a NE–SW orientation. Intertidal mounds and biostromes grew in the presence of significant siliciclastic flux and trapped it within their structure, whereas offshore large buildups incorporated little siliciclastic component. Oolite and skeletal grainstone formed in tide agitated shoals associated with large subtidal microbial mounds. Storms extensively recycled and redistributed skeletal and oolitic sands from the offshore shoals across the shelf as thin sand sheets. Spatial mixing of siliciclastic and carbonate sediment occurred across the tidal flat and shelf. Low‐frequency and intermediate‐frequency stratigraphic cycles were driven by shifts in the shoreline and changes in rate of siliciclastic flux in response to relative sea‐level fluctuation. Random facies stacking and the lack of metre‐scale cyclicity are interpreted to reflect stratigraphic incompleteness and an episodic signal introduced by storms.

Sources and implications of particulate organic matter from a small tropical river—Zuari River, India

Transitional ecosystems, estuaries and the coastal seas, are distinctively affected by natural and anthropogenic factors. Organic matter (OM) originating from terrestrial sources is exported by rivers and forms a key component of the global biogeochemical cycles. Most previous studies focused on the bulk biochemical and anthropogenic aspects affecting these ecosystems. In the present study, we examined the sources and fate of OM entrained within suspended particulate matter (SPM) of the Zuari River and its estuary, west coast of India. Besides using amino acid (AA) enantiomers (L- and D-forms) as biomarkers, other bulk biochemical parameters viz. particulate organic carbon (POC), δ13C, particulate nitrogen (PN), δ15N and chlorophyll a were analyzed. Surprisingly no significant temporal variations were observed in the parameters analyzed; nonetheless, salinity, POC, δ13C, PN, δ15N, glutamic acid, serine, alanine, tyrosine, leucine and D-aspartic acid exhibited significant spatial variability suggesting source differentiation. The POC content displayed weak temporal variability with low values observed during the post-monsoon season attributed to inputs from mixed sources. Estuarine samples were less depleted than the riverine samples suggesting contributions from marine plankton in addition to contributions from river plankton and terrestrial C3 plants detritus. Labile OM was observed during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in the estuarine region. More degraded OM was noticed during the pre-monsoon season. Principal component analysis was used to ascertain the sources and factors influencing OM. Principally five factors were extracted explaining 84.52% of the total variance. The first component accounted for 27.10% of the variance suggesting the dominance of tidal influence whereas, the second component accounted for heterotrophic bacteria and their remnants associated with the particulate matter, contributing primarily to the AA pool. Based on this study we ascertained the role of the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) controlling the sources of POM and its implications to small tropical rivers. Thus, changes in temporal and regional settings are more likely to affect the natural biogeochemical cycles of small tropical rivers.

Climate change, mean sea levels, wetland decline and the survival of the critically endangered Capricorn Yellow Chat

AbstractAn isolated population of ~30 Capricorn Yellow Chats (Epthianura crocea macgregori) (Aves: Meliphagidae) occurs on a grassy marine plain (~4000 ha) with complex fresh to hypersaline wetlands bordering unvegetated salt flats and mangroves, the majority less than 2 m above mean sea level (MSL). While there are several species of sedge on the marine plain, only one, a tall salt‐tolerant sedge, Schoenoplectus subulatus, regularly provides tall cover and nesting habitat on the marine plain. Comparison of vegetation data between 2002 and 2018 at four breeding sites showed a loss of S. subulatus at two of the sites in conjunction with persistent extreme hypersalinity. In contrast, sites where S. subulatus recovered had elevated salinity levels coinciding with a drought in 2005–2008, but subsequently returning to pre‐drought levels. Concomitant with the loss of S. subulatus was a substantial decline in Capricorn Yellow Chat abundance. Possible drivers of persistent hypersalinity were an increase in sea level and consequent greater tidal ingress. The two most severely affected sites were relatively close to tidal influence and low points in the landscape. Evaluation of MSL data showed that habitat decline from 2002 to 2018 occurred over a period in which sea level rose by ~80 mm. While it is recognised that other variables are important, this study indicates that if sea‐level rise continues at the 2011–2017 rate of ~8.3 mm per annum, the Curtis Island marine plain will become unsuitable for Capricorn Yellow Chats in the next 60 years or less. Sixty years is likely to be a conservative estimate given that sea‐level rise rates are projected to increase further, as are the influence of more extreme weather events such as drought and storm surges on persistence of key vegetation. Ramifications for other Capricorn Yellow Chat sites and marine plain‐dependent fauna such as shorebirds also need consideration.

Characteristics and context of high-energy, tidally modulated, barred shoreface deposits: Kimmeridgian–Tithonian sandstones, Weald Basin, southern U.K. and northern France

ABSTRACTThe influence of tides on the sedimentology of wave-dominated shorefaces has been emphasized in recent studies of modern shorelines and related facies models, but few ancient examples have been reported to date. Herein, we use a case study from the stratigraphic record to develop a revised facies model and predictive spatio-temporal framework for high-energy, tidally modulated, wave-dominated, barred shorefaces.Kimmeridgian–Tithonian shallow-marine sandstones in the Weald Basin (southern England and northern France) occur as a series of laterally extensive tongues that are 5–24 m thick. Each tongue coarsens upward in its lower part and fines upward in its upper part. The lower part of each upward-coarsening succession consists of variably stacked, hummocky cross-stratified, very fine- to fine-grained sandstone beds and mudstone interbeds that are moderately to intensely bioturbated by a mixed Skolithos and Cruziana Ichnofacies. This lower part of the succession is interpreted to record deposition on the subtidal lower shoreface, between effective storm wave base and fairweather wave base. The upper part of each upward-coarsening succession comprises cross-bedded, medium- to coarse-grained sandstones that are pervasively intercalated with mudstone-draped, wave-rippled surfaces (including interference ripples) which mantle the erosional bases of trough cross-sets. Bioturbation is patchy, and constitutes a low-diversity Skolithos Ichnofacies. Cross-bedded sandstones are arranged into cosets superimposed on steeply dipping (up to 10°) clinoforms that dip offshore and alongshore, and extend through the succession. These deposits are interpreted to record shallow subtidal and intertidal bars on the upper shoreface, which likely contained laterally migrating rip channels or formed part of a spit. The lower, upward-coarsening part of each sandstone tongue represents an upward-shallowing, regressive shoreface succession in which the internal bedding of upper-shoreface sandstones was modulated by tidal changes in water depth. The upper, upward-fining part of each sandstone tongue typically comprises an erosionally based bioclastic lag overlain by subtidal lower-shoreface deposits, and constitutes an upward-deepening succession developed during transgression.Regressive–transgressive sandstone tongues fringe the northeastern margin of the basin, which was exposed to an energetic wave climate driven by westerly and southwesterly winds with a fetch of 200–600 km. The high tidal range interpreted from the shoreface sandstone tongues is attributed to resonant amplification in a broad (150–200 km), shallow (18–33 m) embayment as the tidal wave propagated from the Tethys Ocean into the adjacent intracratonic Laurasian Seaway, of which the Weald Basin was a part.

Influence of lunar semidiurnal tides on groundwater dynamics in estuarine aquifers

The influence of lunar semidiurnal tides on coastal groundwater aquifers has been conceptualized for decades. However, a thorough understanding of the impact of tides on groundwater dynamics due to the widely distributed waterways and heterogeneous sediments in estuarine aquifers, is still needed. This study shows the tidal impact on groundwater dynamics in the Pearl River estuary in southeast China through wavelet and time series analysis. The groundwater level and electrical conductivity (EC), as well as tidal levels, were monitored in several observation wells and tidal stations to determine how the estuarine groundwater levels respond to tidal forcing. The results show that the groundwater fluctuations have short periodicities of 0.51 and 1 day corresponding to major tidal constituents of M2 (semidiurnal) and K1 and O1 (diurnal) signals, respectively. The significant impacts decrease with increasing distance inland of the locations of the wells. Additionally, the coherence analysis displays a higher correlation between tides and groundwater levels for the spring tide than for the neap tide. The tidal influences on groundwater EC are weak compared to those on groundwater levels. In addition, when the tidal level increases, the EC decreases in wells located in the estuarine entrance. This is related to the high salinity of retained paleo-seawater in the strata lenses. A conceptual model is proposed to illustrate the complex groundwater flow dynamics. The model may provide useful insights into the understanding of similar systems located in geographically different coastal regions.