Sb. Mitchell et al., Dynamics of erosion and deposition events on an intertidal mudbank at Burringham, River Trent, UK, HYDROL PROC, 13(7), 1999, pp. 1155-1166
Measurements using an automatic bank level monitoring technique [the photoe
lectronic erosion pin (PEEP) system] over a 70-day period between 16 March
and 27 May 1997 have revealed a complex pattern of erosion and deposition o
n an intertidal mudbank on the River Trent at Burringham. Comparison of mea
n daily changes in bank elevation at upper and lower bank positions suggest
that wave activity induced by high wind speeds causes erosion, while high
tidal range leads to deposition as a result of higher suspended solids conc
entrations. A greater variability in mean daily erosion and deposition even
ts at the lower bank compared with the upper bank appears to indicate that
higher bed shear stresses, as well as a greater availability of sediment fo
r settling, owing to higher concentrations and a greater depth of water, le
ad to a more dynamic exchange of material at this position. The PEEP data a
lso show longer term trends in sedimentation, with the mean deposition for
the period exceeding mean erosion. Manual erosion pin measurements at a low
er frequency over a longer, seven-month period confirm this, and also highl
ight the advantage of the PEEP system in monitoring events at a finer tempo
ral resolution. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.