Overview

This course provides an introduction to the dynamics of entrainment, transport and deposition of non-cohesive and cohesive sediments in coastal waters. The topics covered include:

• physical mechanisms of sediment transport, and physico-chemical controls of sedimentation;
• tidal and wave boundary layers;
• sediment transport in steady and oscillatory flows;
• initiation of motion and shields criterion;
• bed load motion;
• sediment entrainment and suspension;
• bed forms in steady and oscillatory flow;
• measurement and estimation of sediment transport rates;
• geotechnical and hydraulic interpretation of sediments textures and structures;
• origin and nature of bed forms, ripples, dunes, bars;
• density currents and avalanches: low density turbidity currents versus avalanches.

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You will spend time in the laboratory observing and measuring sediment transport, and learning the basic principles and methods of sampling sediment in the marine environment.

Learning Outcomes

• Be able to quantifiably describe the formation and evolution of sedimentary bedform features, and understand their contribution to wider sediment transport and seabed dynamics.

• Be able to use Matlab or similar software to manipulate and analyse numerical datasets to provide quantitative answers to sediment transport problems

• Draw quantitative conclusions about sediment transport based on the analysis of given field data sets

• Have demonstrable knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological factors that control cohesion and flocculation processes.

• Understand the concepts of sediment entrainment leading to bed load sediment transport and the progression to sediment suspension due to the balance of turbulent upthrust and sediment settling.

• Understand the fluid-seabed interactions that generate the benthic boundary layer, the subsequent form of the boundary layer and the resultant bed shear stresses under steady and oscillatory flows.