Utilisation of numerical and statistical techniques to describe sedimentary circulation patterns in the mouth of the Gironde estuary

Sediment distribution is well defined in the mouth of the Gironde estuary b ut the sediment dynamics is still poorly understood. The aim of this work i s to analyse residual circulation of non-cohesive sediment due to the actio n of the main hydrodynamic factor: tidal currents. A depth-averaged numeric al model emphasises the residual circulation of the Gironde estuary, which is characterised by residual tidal gyres. The comparison between sediment t ransport calculated from the numerical model and from a statistical analysi s of the sedimentary distribution leads to the definition of a simple schem e of non-cohesive sediment circulation in the Gironde estuary's mouth. (C) 2000 Academie des sciences/ Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SA S.