Long-term Process-based Morphological Modeling of Large Tidal Basins

The study presented in this book is a part of a collective effort to bridge the existing gap of our understanding of morphological behavior of tidal basins between engineering and geological time scales by extending the use of coastal engineering tools (process-based models) to geological time scales. The Dutch Waddenzee is chosen as the case study and the working hypothesis that ''If you put enough of the essential physics into the model, the most important features of the morphological behavior will come out, even at longer time scales'' is examined. Through a number of steps, this study shows that the working hypothesis is valid and provides a clearer picture of the relation between ''most important features '' and '' the essential physics ''. In this study it is shown that a process-based model can be used to simulate long-term morphological changes in tidal basins and produce reasonable results. The result of a very simplified model of the Dutch Waddenzee shows a good qualitative agreement with current pattern of channels and shoals of the Dutch Waddenzee. Also the morphological features of the basins in the simulations follow the data-based equilibrium equations and conceptual models.