Modelling sand-mud interaction in Delft3D : investigation of sand-mud modules in Delft3D and Delft3D-FM

Estuaries and tidal basins are unique systems that are often under pressure by increasing human activities and climate change. In many of these systems the contribution from both sand and mud are essential in their response to measures and global change, i.e. their resilience. For complexity reasons, sand and mud are often treated separately or only one fraction is regarded, despite various studies showing the considerable effect of sand-mud interaction on morphodynamics. This study, funded by the Deltares Research program “Resilient Ecosystems”, has been performed to improve morphodynamic modelling by integrating the computation of sand and mud transport in Delft3D. It furthermore investigates how the interaction of sand and mud influences the morphodynamic development of tidal basins consisting of mixtures of both sediment types.