Quantification of cyclic behaviour of sandy shoals on ebb-tidal deltas using satellite-derived bathymetry

Abstract

Ebb tidal deltas are subaqueous accumulations of sediment caused by the deceleration of ebbing currents seaward of a tidal inlet. On these deltas, sandy shoals cyclically form and migrate towards the downdrift coast of the inlet, transporting large volumes of sand to the adjacent beaches. A detailed understanding and subsequent monitoring of these environments have important implications for coastal management. Previous studies have manually quantified the characteristics of the shoals based