The contribution of mud to the net yearly sedimentation volume in the Dutch Wadden Sea : a review based on literature

This literature study describes the present knowledge on mud import, mud concentration and mud deposition in the Dutch Wadden Sea. It also discusses a method to convert between mud weight percentages and mud volume percentages. Knowledge on the mud contribution to the net annual sedimentation volume in the Wadden Sea is essential for future sustainable coastal management. An extensive summary of the main findings and their contribution to answering the research questions of sub-project 'Systeemkennis Zeegaten' of Kustgenese 2.0 is presented in the report. The main conclusions are: Various authors give estimates of recent mud deposition in the Wadden Sea between 1.2 and 3 *109 kg/year ; Only a small percentage of the gross mud transports is net deposited ; Mud only contributes to the sediment volume for mud weight percentages above 15%, because at that moment sand grain contacts start to be broken up ; The average mud deposition is estimated to be between 0.7 and 4,1 *109 kg/year in mass and between 0.7 and 3.4*106 m3/year in volume or between 8 and 37% of the total annual sedimentation volume.