Nicoletta Leonardi

A linear relationship between wave power and erosion determines salt-marsh resilience to violent storms and hurricanes

Significance In recent years, there has been a flurry of restoration projects aimed at mitigating the impact of coastal storms using salt marshes and vegetated surfaces (called “living shorelines”). Based on a large dataset of salt marsh erosion and wave measurements collected all around the world, we find that erosion rates of marsh boundaries and incident wave energy collapse into a unique linear relationship. Our result clearly shows that long-term salt marsh deterioration is dictated by average wave conditions, and it is, therefore, predictable. Violent storms and hurricanes contribute less than 1% to long-term salt marsh erosion rates. This result is of high value for coastal restoration projects and the use of living shorelines to mitigate storms effect. Salt marsh losses have been documented worldwide because of land use change, wave erosion, and sea-level rise. It is still unclear how resistant salt marshes are to extreme storms and whether they can survive multiple events without collapsing. Based on a large dataset of salt marsh lateral erosion rates collected around the world, here, we determine the general response of salt marsh boundaries to wave action under normal and extreme weather conditions. As wave energy increases, salt marsh response to wind waves remains linear, and there is not a critical threshold in wave energy above which salt marsh erosion drastically accelerates. We apply our general formulation for salt marsh erosion to historical wave climates at eight salt marsh locations affected by hurricanes in the United States. Based on the analysis of two decades of data, we find that violent storms and hurricanes contribute less than 1% to long-term salt marsh erosion rates. In contrast, moderate storms with a return period of 2.5 mo are those causing the most salt marsh deterioration. Therefore, salt marshes seem more susceptible to variations in mean wave energy rather than changes in the extremes. The intrinsic resistance of salt marshes to violent storms and their predictable erosion rates during moderate events should be taken into account by coastal managers in restoration projects and risk management plans.

Dynamics of River Mouth Deposits

Bars and subaqueous levees often form at river mouths due to high sediment availability. Once these deposits emerge and develop into islands, they become important elements of the coastal landscape, hosting rich ecosystems. Sea level rise and sediment starvation are jeopardizing these landforms, motivating a thorough analysis of the mechanisms responsible for their formation and evolution. Here we present recent studies on the dynamics of mouth bars and subaqueous levees. The review encompasses both hydrodynamic and morphological results. We first analyze the hydrodynamics of the water jet exiting a river mouth. We then show how this dynamics coupled to sediment transport leads to the formation of mouth bars and levees. Specifically, we discuss the role of sediment eddy diffusivity and potential vorticity on sediment redistribution and related deposits. The effect of waves, tides, sediment characteristics, and vegetation on river mouth deposits is included in our analysis, thus accounting for the inherent complexity of the coastal environment where these landforms are common. Based on the results presented herein, we discuss in detail how river mouth deposits can be used to build new land or restore deltaic shorelines threatened by erosion.

How waves shape salt marshes

We present high-resolution field measurements of five sites along the United States Atlantic Coast, and cellular automata simulations, to investigate the erosion of marsh boundaries by wave action. According to our analysis, when salt marshes are exposed to high wave energy conditions their boundaries erode uniformly. The resulting erosion events follow a Gaussian distribution, yielding a relatively smooth shoreline. On the contrary, when wind waves are weak and the local marsh resistance is strong, jagged marsh boundaries form. In this case, erosion episodes have a long-tailed frequency magnitude distribution with numerous low-magnitude events, but also high-magnitude episodes. The logarithmic frequency magnitude distribution suggests the emergence of a critical state for marsh boundaries, which would make the prediction of failure events impossible. Internal physical processes allowing salt marshes to reach this critical state are geotechnical and biological, and related to the nonhomogeneity of salt marshes whose material discontinuities act as stress raisers.

Effect of local variability in erosional resistance on large‐scale morphodynamic response of salt marshes to wind waves and extreme events

We use field data and a cellular automata model to investigate salt marsh response to wave action under different wave energy conditions and frequency of extreme events. Our results suggest that salt marsh response to wind waves is tied to their local properties. In case of low-wave-energy conditions, local variability in marsh resistance might lead to the unpredictable failure of large marsh portions with respect to average erosion rates. High-wave-energy conditions, while overall leading to faster marsh deterioration, produce constant and predictable erosion rates. A high occurrence of extreme events leads to smoother and more uniformly deteriorating marsh boundary profiles. Salt marshes subject to weak wave energy conditions are the most susceptible to variations in the frequency of extreme events. This suggests that variations in time in the morphology of salt marsh boundaries could be used to infer changes in frequency and magnitude of external agents.

Salt marsh erosion rates and boundary features in a shallow Bay

Herein, we investigate the relationship between wind waves, salt marsh erosion rates, and the planar shape of marsh boundaries by using aerial images and the numerical model Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment-Transport Modeling System (COAWST). Using Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, as a test site, we found that salt marsh erosion rates maintain a similar trend in time. We also found a significant relationship between salt marsh erosion rates and the shape of marsh boundaries which could be used as a geomorphic indicator of the degradation level of the marsh. Slowly eroding salt marshes are irregularly shaped with fractal dimension higher than rapidly deteriorating marshes. Moreover, for low-wave energy conditions, there is a high probability of isolated and significantly larger than average failures of marsh portions causing a long-tailed distribution of localized erosion rates. Finally, we confirm the existence of a significant relationship between salt marsh erosion rate and wind waves exposure. Results suggest that variations in time in the morphology of salt marsh boundaries could be used to infer changes in frequency and magnitude of external agents.

Acoustic measurement and morphological features of organic sediment deposits in combined sewer networks

The performance of sewer networks has important consequences from an environmental and social point of view. Poor functioning can result in flood risk and pollution at a large scale. Sediment deposits forming in sewer trunks might severely compromise the sewer line by affecting the flow field, reducing cross-sectional areas, and increasing roughness coefficients. In spite of numerous efforts, the morphological features of these depositional environments remain poorly understood. The interface between water and sediment remains inefficiently identified and the estimation of the stock of deposit is frequently inaccurate. In part, this is due to technical issues connected to difficulties in collecting accurate field measurements without disrupting existing morphologies. In this paper, results from an extensive field campaign are presented; during the campaign a new survey methodology based on acoustic techniques has been tested. Furthermore, a new algorithm for the detection of the soil-water interface, and therefore for the correct esteem of sediment stocks is proposed. Finally, results in regard to bed topography, and morphological features at two different field sites are presented and reveal that a large variability in bed forms is present along sewer networks.

Seagrass Impact on Sediment Exchange Between Tidal Flats and Salt Marsh, and The Sediment Budget of Shallow Bays

Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that strongly impact their physical and biological surroundings and are therefore frequently referred to as ecological engineers. The effect of seagrasses on coastal bay resilience and sediment transport dynamics is understudied. Here we use six historical maps of seagrass distribution in Barnegat Bay, USA, to investigate the role of these vegetated surfaces on the sediment storage capacity of shallow bays. Analyses are carried out by means of the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) numerical modeling framework. Results show that a decline in the extent of seagrass meadows reduces the sediment mass potentially stored within bay systems. The presence of seagrass reduces shear stress values across the entire bay, including unvegetated areas, and promotes sediment deposition on tidal flats. On the other hand, the presence of seagrasses decreases suspended sediment concentrations, which in turn reduces the delivery of sediment to marsh platforms. Results highlight the relevance of seagrasses for the long-term survival of coastal ecosystems, and the complex dynamics regulating the interaction between subtidal and intertidal landscapes. Plain Language Summary Seagrasses influence the resilience of coastal wetlands to external agents, such as sea level rise, by altering the velocity field and sediment transport dynamics of coastal environments. In many areas worldwide seagrass habitats are declining. This paper studies how seagrasses influence the sediment budget of shallow bays using a computer model, and Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, as test case. Specifically, we used computer models to simulate velocity and sediment transport dynamics in Barnegat Bay with historical seagrass maps for the period 1968–2009. These maps show that for Barnegat Bay seagrasses have decreased in time. We found that seagrasses are important for the retention of sediments within bay systems, and when seagrasses are present less sediments are lost in the ocean, which is relevant for the long-term survival of coastal wetlands as an abundance of sediments generally corresponds to more resilient wetlands. The presence of seagrasses mainly increases the storage of sediments on tidal flats, while it decreases the delivery of sediments to the marsh platforms during high tide. Our results highlight the importance of seagrasses and are relevant for coastal communities and coastal managers worldwide as they could aid the design of coastal protection schemes.

Modelling the Transport and Export of Sediments in Macrotidal Estuaries with Eroding Salt Marsh

A process-based numerical model is applied to investigate sediment transport dynamics and sediment budget in tide-dominated estuaries under different salt marsh erosion scenarios. Using a typical funnel-shaped estuary (Ribble Estuary, UK) as a study site, it is found that the remobilization of sediments within the estuary is increased as a result of the tidal inundation of the eroded salt marsh. The landward export of the finest sediment is also intensified. The relationship between salt marsh erosion and net landward export of sediments has been found to be non-linear—with the first 30% salt marsh erosion causing most of the predicted export. The presence of vegetation also influences the sediment budget. Results suggest that vegetation reduces the amount of sediment being transported upstream. Again, the trapping effect of salt marsh in terms of plant density is non-linear. Whilst a vegetated surface with a stem density of 64 plants/m2 decreased the net landward export of very fine sand by around 50%, a further increase in stem density from 64 to 512 plants/m2 had a relatively small effect.

Uncertainty in estuarine extreme water level predictions due to surge-tide interaction

Storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and critical infrastructures during hurricanes and violent storms. Millions of people living in low-lying coastal zones and critical infrastructure within this zone rely on accurate storm surge forecast for disaster prevention and flood hazard mitigation. However, variability in residual sea level up-estuary, defined here as observed sea level minus predicted tide, can enhance total water levels; variability in the surge thus needs to be captured accurately to reduce uncertainty in site specific hazard assessment. Delft3D-FLOW is used to investigate surge variability, and the influence of storm surge timing on barotropic tide-surge propagation in a tide-dominant estuary using the Severn Estuary, south-west England, as an example. Model results show maximum surge elevation increases exponentially up-estuary and, for a range of surge timings consistently occurs on the flood tide. In the Severn Estuary, over a distance of 40 km from the most upstream tide gauge at Oldbury, the maximum surge elevation increases by 255%. Up-estuary locations experience short duration, high magnitude surge elevations and greater variability due to shallow-water effects and channel convergence. The results show that surge predictions from forecasting systems at tide gauge locations could under-predict the magnitude and duration of surge contribution to up-estuary water levels. Due to the large tidal range and dynamic nature of hyper-tidal estuaries, local forecasting systems should consider changes in surge elevation and shape with distance up-estuary from nearby tide gauge sites to minimize uncertainties in flood hazard assessment.

Correction to: Modelling the Transport and Export of Sediments in Macrotidal Estuaries with Eroding Salt Marsh

In the original article, Xiaorong Li’s given and family names were transposed. It is correct as shown here. The original article has been corrected.