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Storm Dynamics Control Sedimentation and Shelf-Bay-Marsh Sediment Exchange along the Louisiana Coast
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  • Ioannis Y. Georgiou,
  • Duncan FitzGerald,
  • Md Mohiuddin Sakib,
  • Francesca Messina,
  • Mark Kulp,
  • Michael D Miner
Ioannis Y. Georgiou
University of New Orleans

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Duncan FitzGerald
Boston University
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Md Mohiuddin Sakib
University of New Orleans
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Francesca Messina
The Water Institute
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Mark Kulp
University of New Orleans
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Michael D Miner
The Water Institute
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Abstract

Hurricanes benefit wetland accretion by augmenting the delivery of mineral sediment, an essential process allowing marshes to offset submergence due to rising sea levels. Using Hurricane Gustav as a control, we examined eight synthetic storms with varying characteristics (track, speed, intensity, size) to evaluate sediment exchange between the inner shelf and the bay and bay-to-marsh interfaces. All storms showed net landward sediment transport from the inner shelf to the bay to the marsh—storms with closer proximity, higher intensity, and slower forward speed positively correlated with net sediment exchange; storm size had little impact. Except for very slow-moving storms, most scenarios cause net bay erosion as more sediment is conveyed to landward wetlands than is replenished from erosion of the inner shelf. This sediment deficit suggests a future deepening of the bay, which will worsen due to accelerating sea-level rise.
08 Aug 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
12 Aug 2024Published in ESS Open Archive