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This paper presents thickness-weighted averaging (TWA) in generalized vertical coordinates as a unified framework for a variety of existing tidal-averaging concepts in seas and estuaries. Vertical profiles of resulting residual quantities depend on the specific vertical coordinate, which is held fixed during the averaging process. This dependence is demonstrated through the application to one-dimensional analytical tidal flow with sediment transport, to field observations from a tidal channel, and to model results from a two-dimensional estuary. The use of different coordinate systems provides complementary views on the residual dynamics and stresses the importance of a correct interpretation of residual quantities obtained by tidal averaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the longitudinal variation of lateral entrapment of suspended sediment, as is observed in some tidal estuaries. In particular, field data from the Yangtze Estuary are analysed, which reveal that in one cross-section, two maxima of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) occur close to the south and north sides, while in a cross-section 2 km down-estuary, only one SSC maximum on the south side is present. This pattern is found during both spring tide and neap tide, which are characterised by different intensities of turbulence. To understand longitudinal variation in lateral trapping of sediment, results of a new three-dimensional exploratory model are analysed. The hydrodynamic part contains residual flow due to fresh water input, density gradients and Coriolis force and due to channel curvature-induced leakage. Moreover, the model includes a spatially varying eddy viscosity that accounts for variation of intensity of turbulence over the spring-neap cycle. By imposing morphodynamic equilibrium, the two-dimensional distribution of sediment in the domain is obtained analytically by a novel procedure. Results reveal that the occurrence of the SSC maxima near the south side of both cross-sections is due to sediment entrapment by lateral density gradients, while the second SSC maximum near the north side of the first cross-section is by sediment transport due to curvature-induced leakage. Coriolis deflection of longitudinal flow also contributes the trapping of sediment near the north side. This mechanism is important in the upper estuary, where the flow due to lateral density gradients is weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the joint action ofM2andM4tidal flow, residual flow and spatial settling lag on the lateral entrapment of sediment is examined in tidally dominated estuaries with an idealized model that assumes along-estuary uniform conditions. Approximate solutions are obtained for arbitrary cross-channel bed profiles by scaling and perturbation analysis. The hydrodynamics include externally drivenM2tidal flow, externally and internally drivenM4tidal flow and residual flow driven by horizontal density gradient, river discharge and nonlinear advection. The sediment concentration includes a mean component, anM2component driven by bed erosion and anM2component driven by both bed erosion and inertial terms. Sediment availability is calculated by imposing a morphodynamic equilibrium condition. The model is applied to a transect in the James River estuary where data of flow and suspended sediment concentration are available. Two types of sediment are separately considered, viz., fine silt and coarse silt. Residual advective transport of sediment by the lateral flow induces trapping of sediment over the left shoal (looking landward). Model results also show that the incorporation ofM4tidal flow and spatial settling lag leads to a second sediment trapping region over the right shoal. Model results are qualitatively in good agreement with the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual currents induced by asymmetric tidal mixing were examined for weakly stratified, narrow estuaries using analytical and numerical models. The analytical model is an extension of the work of R. K. McCarthy, with the addition of tidal variations of the vertical eddy viscosity in the longitudinal momentum equation. The longitudinal distribution of residual flows driven by asymmetric tidal mixing is determined by the tidal current amplitude and by asymmetries in tidal mixing between flood and ebb. In a long channel, the magnitude of the residual flow induced by asymmetric tidal mixing is maximum at the estuary mouth and decreases upstream following the longitudinal distribution of tidal current amplitude. Larger asymmetry in tidal mixing between flood and ebb produces stronger residual currents. For typical tidal asymmetry, mixing is stronger during flood than during ebb and results in two-layer residual currents with seaward flow near the surface and landward flow near the bottom. For reverse tidal asymmetry, mixing is weaker during flood than during ebb and the resulting residual flow is landward near the surface and seaward near the bottom. Also, the residual flow induced by tidal asymmetry has the same order of magnitude as the density-driven flow and therefore is important to estuarine dynamics. Numerical experiments with a primitive-equation numerical model [the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)] generally support the pattern of residual currents driven by tidal asymmetry suggested by the analytical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model was developed and analyzed to quantify the effect of graded sediment on the formation of tidal sand ridges. Field data reveal coarse (fine) sediment at the crests (in the troughs), but often phase shifts between the mean grain-size distribution and the bottom topography occur. Following earlier work, this study is based on a linear stability analysis of a basic state with respect to small bottom perturbations. The basic state describes an alongshore tidal current on a coastal shelf. Sediment is transported as bed load and dynamic hiding effects are accounted for. A one-layer model for the bed evolution is used and two grain size classes (fine and coarse sand) are considered. Results indicate an increase in growth and migration rates of tidal sand ridges for a bimodal mixture, whilst the wavelength of the ridges remains unchanged. A symmetrical externally forced tidal current results in a grain-size distribution which is in phase with the ridges. Incorporation of an additional external M4 tidal constituent or a steady current results in a phase shift between the grain-size distribution and ridge topography. These results show a general agreement with observations. The physical mechanism responsible for the observed grain-size distribution over the ridges is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of finite-amplitude bed forms in a tidal channel is studied with the use of an idealized morphodynamic model. The latter is based on depth-averaged equations for the tidal flow over a sandy bottom. The model considers phenomena on spatial scales of the order of the tidal excursion length. Transport of sediment mainly takes place as suspended load. The reference state of this model is characterized by a spatially uniform M2 tidal current over a fixed horizontal bed. The temporal evolution of deviations from this reference state is governed by amplitude equations: these are a set of non-linear equations that describe the temporal evolution of bed forms. These equations are used to obtain new morphodynamic equilibria which may be either static or time-periodic. Several of these bottom profiles show strong similarity with the tidal bars that are observed in natural estuaries. The dependence of the equilibrium solutions on the value of bottom friction and channel width is investigated systematically. For narrow channels (width small compared to the tidal excursion length) stable static equilibria exist if bottom friction is slightly larger than rcr. For channel widths more comparable to the tidal excursion length, multiple stable steady states may exist for bottom friction parameter values below rcr. Regardless of channel width, stable time-periodic equilibria seem to emerge as the bottom friction is increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]