Articles | Volume 12, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-601-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-601-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 Apr 2024
Research article |
| 29 Apr 2024
| 29 Apr 2024
On the relative role of abiotic and biotic controls in channel network development: insights from scaled tidal flume experiments
Sarah Hautekiet
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Jan-Eike Rossius
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
Olivier Gourgue
Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Maarten Kleinhans
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands
Stijn Temmerman
Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
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Eise W. Nota, Yinghua Li, Lotta Beyaard, Meryem Upson, Menno L. C. Wagenaar, Zahra Nassralla, Silke J. Baltussen, Esmee van Amelsfort, Lieke M. Gubbels, David Leahy, Janneke J. Muller, Brechtje A. van Amstel, Josefien J. A. Donders, Jan-Eike Rossius, Marcel C. G. van Maarseveen, Henk Markies, Arjan M. van Eijk, Bas D. B. van Dam, Madlene Nussbaum, Saeb Faraji Gargari, Vincent Brunst, Lisanne Braat, and Maarten G. Kleinhans
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-427, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-427, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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It is increasingly important to understand the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes of estuaries. Here we present a large dataset of physical scale experiments of estuaries, covering almost 230,000 tidal cycles with various planforms and perturbations. The data consists of spatially and temporally covering laserscan DEMs, planform masks, orthomosaics, water depth maps, and timelapses. The data can be used in numerous disciplines, such as morphology, machine learning and numerical modelling.
Mona Huyzentruyt, Maarten Wens, Gregory S. Fivash, David Walters, Steven Bouillon, Joel Carr, Glenn Guntenspergen, Matt L. Kirwan, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 23, 851–865, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-851-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-851-2026, 2026
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Vegetated environments from forests to peatlands store carbon in the soil, which mitigates climate change. But which environment does this best? In this study, we show how the levees of tidal marshes are one of the most effective carbon sequestering environments in the world. This is because soil water-logging and high salinity inhibits carbon degradation while the levee fosters fast vegetation growth, complimented also by the preferential settlement of carbon-rich sediments on the marsh levee.
Mona Huyzentruyt, Lennert Schepers, Matthew L. Kirwan, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 23, 751–766, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-751-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-751-2026, 2026
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In some tidal marshes, vegetation can convert to ponds as a result of sea level rise. We investigated to what extent this is related to decreasing strength of the marsh soil in relation to sea level rise. We found a reduction of marsh soil strength in areas with more inundation by sea water and more ponding, which results in easier erosion of the marsh and thus further expansion of ponds. This decrease in marsh soil strength is highly related to lower content of roots in the soil.
Marco Schrijver, Maarten van der Vegt, Gerben Ruessink, and Maarten G. Kleinhans
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 1093–1108, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1093-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1093-2025, 2025
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To gain insight into the sediment transport onto a mid-channel bar in an estuary, we measured current velocities on and along the tidal flat during six months. Our analysis shows that intertidal currents have a more pronounced three-dimensional pattern than those on shore-connected tidal flats. This has consequences for sediment transport and morphodynamics. Existing models for tidal flats underestimate flow velocities and sediment dynamics on mid-channel bars.
Lauranne Alaerts, Jonathan Lambrechts, Ny Riana Randresihaja, Luc Vandenbulcke, Olivier Gourgue, Emmanuel Hanert, and Marilaure Grégoire
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 3125–3140, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3125-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3125-2025, 2025
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We created the first comprehensive, high-resolution, and easily accessible bathymetry dataset for the three main branches of the Danube Delta. By combining four data sources, we obtained a detailed representation of the riverbed, with resolutions ranging from 2 to 100 m. This dataset will support future studies on water and nutrient exchanges between the Danube and the Black Sea and provide insights into the delta's buffer role within the understudied Danube–Black Sea continuum.
Ny Riana Randresihaja, Olivier Gourgue, Lauranne Alaerts, Xavier Fettweis, Jonathan Lambrechts, Miguel De Le Court, Marilaure Grégoire, and Emmanuel Hanert
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-634, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-634, 2025
Preprint archived
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Coastal areas face rising flood threats as storms intensifies with climate change. With an advanced model of the Scheldt Estuary-North Sea, we studied how detailed atmospheric data must be to predict storm surge peaks in estuaries. We found that high-resolution atmospheric data gives the best results, and coarser data with same resolution as current global climate models give poorer results. We show that investing in localized, high-resolution atmospheric data can significantly improve results.
Ignace Pelckmans, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Olivier Gourgue, Luis Elvin Dominguez-Granda, and Stijn Temmerman
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1463–1476, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1463-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1463-2024, 2024
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The combination of extreme sea levels with increased river flow typically can lead to so-called compound floods. Often these are caused by storms (< 1 d), but climatic events such as El Niño could trigger compound floods over a period of months. We show that the combination of increased sea level and river discharge causes extreme water levels to amplify upstream. Mangrove forests, however, can act as a nature-based flood protection by lowering the extreme water levels coming from the sea.
Ignace Pelckmans, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis E. Dominguez-Granda, Cornelis Slobbe, Stijn Temmerman, and Olivier Gourgue
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3169–3183, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3169-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3169-2023, 2023
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Mangroves are increasingly recognized as a coastal protection against extreme sea levels. Their effectiveness in doing so, however, is still poorly understood, as mangroves are typically located in tropical countries where data on mangrove vegetation and topography properties are often scarce. Through a modelling study, we identified the degree of channelization and the mangrove forest floor topography as the key properties for regulating high water levels in a tropical delta.
Olivier Gourgue, Jim van Belzen, Christian Schwarz, Wouter Vandenbruwaene, Joris Vanlede, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Sergio Fagherazzi, Tjeerd J. Bouma, Johan van de Koppel, and Stijn Temmerman
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 531–553, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-531-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-531-2022, 2022
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There is an increasing demand for tidal-marsh restoration around the world. We have developed a new modeling approach to reduce the uncertainty associated with this development. Its application to a real tidal-marsh restoration project in northwestern Europe illustrates how the rate of landscape development can be steered by restoration design, with important consequences for restored tidal-marsh resilience to increasing sea level rise and decreasing sediment supply.
Maarten G. Kleinhans, Lonneke Roelofs, Steven A. H. Weisscher, Ivar R. Lokhorst, and Lisanne Braat
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 367–381, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-367-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-367-2022, 2022
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Floodplain formation in estuaries limit the ebb and flood flow, reducing channel migration and shortening the tidally influenced reach. Vegetation establishment on bars reduces local flow velocity and concentrates flow into channels, while mudflats fill accommodation space and reduce channel migration. These results are based on experimental estuaries in the Metronome facility supported by numerical flow modelling.
Rey Harvey Suello, Simon Lucas Hernandez, Steven Bouillon, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis Dominguez-Granda, Marijn Van de Broek, Andrea Mishell Rosado Moncayo, John Ramos Veliz, Karem Pollette Ramirez, Gerard Govers, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 19, 1571–1585, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, 2022
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This research shows indications that the age of the mangrove forest and its position along a deltaic gradient (upstream–downstream) play a vital role in the amount and sources of carbon stored in the mangrove sediments. Our findings also imply that carbon capture by the mangrove ecosystem itself contributes partly but relatively little to long-term sediment organic carbon storage. This finding is particularly relevant for budgeting the potential of mangrove ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
Florian Lauryssen, Philippe Crombé, Tom Maris, Elliot Van Maldegem, Marijn Van de Broek, Stijn Temmerman, and Erik Smolders
Biogeosciences, 19, 763–776, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-763-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-763-2022, 2022
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Surface waters in lowland regions have a poor surface water quality, mainly due to excess nutrients like phosphate. Therefore, we wanted to know the phosphate levels without humans, also called the pre-industrial background. Phosphate binds strongly to sediment particles, suspended in the river water. In this research we used sediments deposited by a river as an archive for surface water phosphate back to 1800 CE. Pre-industrial phosphate levels were estimated at one-third of the modern levels.
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Short summary
This study examined how vegetation growing in marshes affects the formation of tidal channel networks. Experiments were conducted to imitate marsh development, both with and without vegetation. The results show interdependency between biotic and abiotic factors in channel development. They mainly play a role when the landscape changes from bare to vegetated. Overall, the study suggests that abiotic factors are more important near the sea, while vegetation plays a larger role closer to the land.
This study examined how vegetation growing in marshes affects the formation of tidal channel...
