Coastal morphodynamics

Definition of Coastal morphodynamics: The mutual interaction of coastal morphology with hydrodynamic agents (tides, currents, waves). This interaction takes place through sedimentation, erosion and sediment transport processes. This is the common definition for Coastal morphodynamics, other definitions can be discussed in the article

The highly dynamic channel-shoal pattern in the slowly evolving Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel (France).

Notes

Tides, currents and waves adapt to constraints imposed by the morphology of a coastal system (e.g., delta, estuary, beach, etc.). The morphology of a coastal system adapts to the tides, currents, waves to which it is exposed. This mutual adaptation, which is always highly nonlinear, generates morphological patterns, such as channel meanders, tidal flats, ebb tidal deltas, nearshore sandbars, beach berms, sand ridges, ripples, etc. As a result, the large-scale coastal morphology develops into a slowly evolving morphodynamic equilibrium state in which smaller morphological patterns evolve in a quasi-cyclical (usually non-deterministic) manner at much smaller timescales.

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