(e.g., sediment porosity) and subordinate processes
that are not taken into account in calculating the sediment budget also contribute to the uncertainty.
The degree to which one process affects another and the
contribution of a transport process to the sediment budget
both depend on the magnitude and frequency of recurrence of these processes at a site (Dietrich et al., 1982).
A feasible way to better evaluate the uncertainty is to
develop a scheme which presents the probability distributions of all possible sources and sinks in the research area.
Summary
Sediment budget analysis is useful in estuarine and coastal
studies. A comprehensive understanding of the sediment
source-to-sink transport and possible transport pathways
within a system can be gained through a detailed budget
analysis. Due to the complexities of sediment dynamics,
much progress is still needed to reduce the uncertainty
(e.g., improving the quality of field measurements and
knowledge of sediment transport by multi-scale processes) for a better quantification of sediment budgets in
coastal and estuarine environments.
Bibliography
Bowen, A. J., and California. Inman, D.L., 1966. Budget of littoral
sand in the vicinity of Point Arguello, U.S. Army Coastal
Engineering Research Center, Technical Memorandum
No. 19, 56p.
Dietrich, W.E., Dunne, T., Humphrey, N.F., and Reid, L.M., 1982.
Construction of sediment budgets for drainage basins. In
Sediment Budgets and Routing in Forested Drainage Basins.
U.S. Forest Service Gen. Technical Report, PNW-141, pp. 5–23.
Dolan, T. J., Castens, P. G., Sonu, C. J., and Egense, A. K., 1987.
Review of sediment budget methodology: oceanside littoral cell,
California. In Proceedings, Coastal Sediments ’87. Reston, VA:
ASCE, pp. 1289–1304.
Emeis, K., Christiansen, C., Edelvang, K., Graf, G., Jahmlich, S.,
Kozuch, J., Laima, M., Leipe, T., Loeffler, A., Lund-Hansen,
L. C., Miltner, A., Pazdro, K., Pempkowiak, J., Shimmield, G.,
Shimmield, T., Smith, J., Voss, M., and Witt, G., 2002. Material
transport from the near shore to the basinal environment in the
southern Baltic Sea: II. Synthesis of data on origin and properties
of material. Journal of Marine Systems, 35(3–4), 151–168.
Kamphuis, J. W., 1991. Alongshore sediment transport rate. Journal
of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, 117(6),
624–641.
Rosati, J. D., 2005. Concepts in sediment budgets. Journal of
Coastal Research, 21(2), 307–322.
Slaymaker, O., 1997. A pluralist, problem-focussed geomorphology.
In Stoddart, D. R. (ed.), Process and Form in Geomorphology.
London: Routledge, pp. 328–339.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1984. Shore Protection Manual,
4th edn. Washington: U.S. Corps of Engineers. Department of
the Army.
Zhang, W. Y., Deng, J., Harff, J., Schneider, R., and DudzinskaNowak, J., 2013. A coupled modeling scheme for longshore sediment transport of wave-dominated coasts – a case study from
the southern Baltic Sea. Coastal Engineering, 72, 39–55.
Cross-references
Sediment Grain Size
SEDIMENT COMPACTION
Nils-Axel Mörner
Paleogeophysics and Geodynamics, Saltsjöbaden, Sweden
Synonyms
Sediment dewatering; Sediment lithification
Definition
Clay, silt, gyttja, and peat are sediments that contain substantial amounts of water at the time of deposition. As
the sediments continue to accumulate through time, they
undergo dewatering which leads to compaction.
Description
The transition from particles in suspension to their accumulation in bottom sediments implies the loss of water so that
the particles hold together by cohesion of friction. The process of dewatering continues in the upper part of the sediment column until some sort of equilibrium is reached
(Mörner, 2010; Brian et al., 2012). This is the case with
clay, silt, and gyttja (organic matter). Peat is susceptible to
compaction (e.g., Jelgersma, 1961). Loading generates sediment compaction (e.g., when heavy harbor construction
rests on soft sediments). Many tide gauges are located on
such construction, which leads to site-specific subsidence
(e.g., Mörner, 2010). Dewatering and compaction are parts
of the process of lithification. Artificial water withdrawal
may generate substantial sediment compaction (e.g., in
the Bangkok region and in the Nigita area in Japan). Compaction is a serious problem in the reconstruction of
sea-level changes adding a factor of local to site-specific
subsidence which may be hard to define.
Bibliography
Brian, M. J., Long, A. J., Woodroff, S. A., Petley, D. N., Milledge,
D. G., and Parnell, A. C., 2012. Modelling the effects of sediment compaction on salt marsh reconstructions of recent
sea-level rise. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 345(48),
180–193.
Jelgersma, S., 1961. Holocene sea-level changes in the Netherlands.
Mededelingen van de Geologische Stichting Serie C, VI(7),
1–101.
Mörner, N.-A., 2010. Some problems in the reconstruction of mean
sea level and its changes with time. Quaternary International,
221, 3–8.
Cross-references
Estuarine Sediment Composition
Sediment Erosion
Sediment Grain Size
SEDIMENT COMPACTION
553
that are not taken into account in calculating the sediment budget also contribute to the uncertainty.
The degree to which one process affects another and the
contribution of a transport process to the sediment budget
both depend on the magnitude and frequency of recurrence of these processes at a site (Dietrich et al., 1982).
A feasible way to better evaluate the uncertainty is to
develop a scheme which presents the probability distributions of all possible sources and sinks in the research area.
Summary
Sediment budget analysis is useful in estuarine and coastal
studies. A comprehensive understanding of the sediment
source-to-sink transport and possible transport pathways
within a system can be gained through a detailed budget
analysis. Due to the complexities of sediment dynamics,
much progress is still needed to reduce the uncertainty
(e.g., improving the quality of field measurements and
knowledge of sediment transport by multi-scale processes) for a better quantification of sediment budgets in
coastal and estuarine environments.
Bibliography
Bowen, A. J., and California. Inman, D.L., 1966. Budget of littoral
sand in the vicinity of Point Arguello, U.S. Army Coastal
Engineering Research Center, Technical Memorandum
No. 19, 56p.
Dietrich, W.E., Dunne, T., Humphrey, N.F., and Reid, L.M., 1982.
Construction of sediment budgets for drainage basins. In
Sediment Budgets and Routing in Forested Drainage Basins.
U.S. Forest Service Gen. Technical Report, PNW-141, pp. 5–23.
Dolan, T. J., Castens, P. G., Sonu, C. J., and Egense, A. K., 1987.
Review of sediment budget methodology: oceanside littoral cell,
California. In Proceedings, Coastal Sediments ’87. Reston, VA:
ASCE, pp. 1289–1304.
Emeis, K., Christiansen, C., Edelvang, K., Graf, G., Jahmlich, S.,
Kozuch, J., Laima, M., Leipe, T., Loeffler, A., Lund-Hansen,
L. C., Miltner, A., Pazdro, K., Pempkowiak, J., Shimmield, G.,
Shimmield, T., Smith, J., Voss, M., and Witt, G., 2002. Material
transport from the near shore to the basinal environment in the
southern Baltic Sea: II. Synthesis of data on origin and properties
of material. Journal of Marine Systems, 35(3–4), 151–168.
Kamphuis, J. W., 1991. Alongshore sediment transport rate. Journal
of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, 117(6),
624–641.
Rosati, J. D., 2005. Concepts in sediment budgets. Journal of
Coastal Research, 21(2), 307–322.
Slaymaker, O., 1997. A pluralist, problem-focussed geomorphology.
In Stoddart, D. R. (ed.), Process and Form in Geomorphology.
London: Routledge, pp. 328–339.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1984. Shore Protection Manual,
4th edn. Washington: U.S. Corps of Engineers. Department of
the Army.
Zhang, W. Y., Deng, J., Harff, J., Schneider, R., and DudzinskaNowak, J., 2013. A coupled modeling scheme for longshore sediment transport of wave-dominated coasts – a case study from
the southern Baltic Sea. Coastal Engineering, 72, 39–55.
Cross-references
Sediment Grain Size
SEDIMENT COMPACTION
Nils-Axel Mörner
Paleogeophysics and Geodynamics, Saltsjöbaden, Sweden
Synonyms
Sediment dewatering; Sediment lithification
Definition
Clay, silt, gyttja, and peat are sediments that contain substantial amounts of water at the time of deposition. As
the sediments continue to accumulate through time, they
undergo dewatering which leads to compaction.
Description
The transition from particles in suspension to their accumulation in bottom sediments implies the loss of water so that
the particles hold together by cohesion of friction. The process of dewatering continues in the upper part of the sediment column until some sort of equilibrium is reached
(Mörner, 2010; Brian et al., 2012). This is the case with
clay, silt, and gyttja (organic matter). Peat is susceptible to
compaction (e.g., Jelgersma, 1961). Loading generates sediment compaction (e.g., when heavy harbor construction
rests on soft sediments). Many tide gauges are located on
such construction, which leads to site-specific subsidence
(e.g., Mörner, 2010). Dewatering and compaction are parts
of the process of lithification. Artificial water withdrawal
may generate substantial sediment compaction (e.g., in
the Bangkok region and in the Nigita area in Japan). Compaction is a serious problem in the reconstruction of
sea-level changes adding a factor of local to site-specific
subsidence which may be hard to define.
Bibliography
Brian, M. J., Long, A. J., Woodroff, S. A., Petley, D. N., Milledge,
D. G., and Parnell, A. C., 2012. Modelling the effects of sediment compaction on salt marsh reconstructions of recent
sea-level rise. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 345(48),
180–193.
Jelgersma, S., 1961. Holocene sea-level changes in the Netherlands.
Mededelingen van de Geologische Stichting Serie C, VI(7),
1–101.
Mörner, N.-A., 2010. Some problems in the reconstruction of mean
sea level and its changes with time. Quaternary International,
221, 3–8.
Cross-references
Estuarine Sediment Composition
Sediment Erosion
Sediment Grain Size
SEDIMENT COMPACTION
553