Dynamics of suspended sediments in a shallow estuary, India

Estuaries are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. They have the characteristics of both the river and the sea and serve as transition zone between the two. Estuaries can trap or flush suspended sediments depending on the specific hydrodynamic conditions. There is a general consensus that shallow estuaries are facing serious threats due to sedimentation that these ecosystems may disappear in due course of time. The Muthupet estuary in the coromandal coast of India is a Ramsar site and is famous for mangrove forest and biodiversity. A geomorphic change has been observed in the estuary during the past two decades. This book addresses the fate and transport of suspended sediments in this shallow estuary. The identification and dynamic behavior of salt plug and estuarine turbidity maxima are some of the special features of the estuary. Vertical salinity gradient, a parameter of importance in estuarine conditions, has been identified as one of the controlling parameters of settling velocity of suspended sediments. A new dimensionless equation has been formulated for settling velocity connecting its controlling parameters.