OCN 5401 Chapter 11 Coastal Ocean Instructor: Dr. George A. Maul / X 7453

Earth’s Estuaries

Estuary Classifications KnaussNybakkenSumichKennett Salt WedgeCoastal Plain Salt Wedge Partially MixedTectonicBar BuiltPartially Mixed Well MixedFjordDeltaLagoon NegativeDelta

Estuaries and Inlets

Estuarine Issues

Mixing Richardson Number R i < 0.25 internal shear waves develop

Residence Time (t) and Sebastian Inlet

Coastal Ocean Observing System

Coasts and Beaches A healthy coral reef creates sand for healthy beaches

Beach Terminology and Sand D(mm)Wentworth GradePhi >256Boulder-8 >64Cobble-6 >4Pebble-2 >1Very course sand0 >1/2Course sand1 >1/4Medium sand2 >1/8Fine sand3

Beach Sand Erosion and Accretion Short period wind waves (T<7 seconds) Long period swell waves (T>9 seconds)

Classification of River Deltas Brazos River Delta Ganges River Delta

Amazon Delta 6300 km 3 /year ~ 1/150 of Gulf Stream

The drainage basin of the Mississippi River encompasses a major portion of the central United States. How much is this??

The Mississippi River has built a series of overlapping subdeltas as it continually dumps sediment into the Gulf of Mexico.

Satellite Imagery of the Classical Birdsfoot Delta at the mouth of the Mississippi River Mississippi River entering Gulf of Mexico - Note the color contrast. (Picture from John Trefry)

Changes in sediment composition along the Nile River

Nile Delta Sediments Denial is not a river in Egypt Photograph False color Image

Semi-Enclosed Seas Intra-Americas Sea

Intra-Americas Sea SSH

Lakes – The Aral Sea

Artificial Lakes Lake Nasser

Coastal Ocean of the Southeastern United States

OCN 5401 Questions? Chapter 11