Human interventions influence sediment dynamics, and understanding these mechanisms is essential for predicting short-term and long-term estuarine development. The Deep Channel Navigation Project (DCNP) in the Yangtze Estuary is such a large infrastructural intervention that substantially alters sediment exchanges between channels and shoals and may thereby influence this estuarine development. However, the effect of these constructions on channel-shoal sediment exchange is up to now poorly known. In this study, we use an extensive dataset collected both in channels and on shoals and a numerical model to clarify the exchange mechanisms driving sediment transport patterns in a strongly anthropogenically modified environment. The results indicate that the stepwise construction of hydraulic structures leads to gradual changes in sediment exchange. The first phase was characterized by partially blocked sediment exchange with northward sediment transport towards the main channel and to the northern flats (2002–2010). Next, a transition period was characterized by weaker horizontal sediment exchange and reduced sediment supply (2010–2016). Since 2016, more efficient structures blocking sediment exchange further hinder northward transport and promote deposition on the southern flats. These processes point to the important role of engineering works in strengthening the southward growth of the delta. Moreover, data analyses suggest that northward over-jetty flow during high water induces a net sediment flux towards the channel due to water level gradients. The residual flow controls the net sediment transport both in the longitudinal and lateral direction over the tidal flats. Therefore, a clockwise residual circulation cell forms in the channel-shoal system, contributing to the channel siltation. These findings shed important insights into the role of sediment exchange in channel siltation and large-scale hydrodynamic and delta development. Such knowledge is crucial for sustainable future management of delta distributaries.

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Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) are increasingly being used in various scientific disciplines. However, dealing with non-stationary physical processes remains a significant challenge in such models, whereas fluid motions are typically non-stationary. In this study, a PINN-based method was designed and optimized to solve non-stationary fluid dynamics with shallow water equations in a polar coordinate system (PINN-SWEP). It was developed and validated with a classic circular basin case that is well-documented in scientific literature. In the validation case, the wind-induced water surface fluctuations are less than 1 cm, posing challenges in modeling. However, our PINN-SWEP model can accurately simulate such tiny water surface fluctuations and resolve complex fluid motions based on limited and sparse data. A boundary discontinuity problem associated with the use of a polar coordinate system is further discussed and improved, thereby enhancing the applicability of PINN in water research. The methodology can provide an alternative solution for numerical or analytical solutions with high accuracy.

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Tidal inlets are a common feature along the world’s coastline. Inlet-adjacent coastlines have for millennia supported communities and livelihoods, and therefore, projected climate change driven variations in catchment-estuary-coast (CEC) system drivers (e.g., sea-level rise (SLR)) are likely to lead to substantial socio-economic impacts. One important SLR-driven process that affects inlet-adjacent shoreline change is basin-infilling (i.e., sediment import to the estuary from the coast to satisfy the SLR-driven increase of estuarine accommodation space). Due to the slow morphological response to hydrodynamic forcing, however, there is a time lag between basin infilling and SLR, which, in numerical models that simulate century-scale evolution of CEC systems, is represented by a basin infilling lag factor (M). To date, an indicative M value has only been derived for small tidal inlet systems (M ~0.5), and due to the lack of M estimates for larger systems, studies have been using M ~0.5 indiscriminately. Here, for the first time, we derive indicative M values for small, medium, and large tidal inlet systems (M ~0.5, ~0.25 and ~0.15 respectively) via analytical considerations. Subsequently, to investigate the consequences of using sub-optimal M values on twenty-first century projections of inlet-adjacent shoreline change, we apply a probabilistic, reduced complexity model (G-SMIC), under four IPCC AR6 climate scenarios, to three CEC systems representing small, medium and large systems. Results show that, in general, shoreline change projections are substantially lower(higher) when M values smaller(larger) than the indicative M for a given system are used. When smaller-than-optimal M values (0.25 and 0.15) are used for the small tidal inlet, both mid- and end-century shoreline retreats are under-estimated by 50–75% (across the four climate scenarios), relative to projections obtained with the optimal M value. For the medium-sized inlet, shoreline retreats for both future periods are over-estimated by ~100% with the larger-than-optimal M value of 0.5, while they are under-estimated by ~40–75% (across climate scenarios) with the smaller-than-optimal M value of 0.15. When the two higher-than-optimal M values (0.25 and 0.5) are used for the large tidal inlet system, shoreline retreat is over-estimated by ~ 65–240% (across climate scenarios) for both future periods. In terms of absolute values, these under/over-estimations increase in time and with the severity of emission scenario.

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The Changjiang Estuary and Hangzhou Bay system has experienced river damming and estuarine engineering in the last decades. However, few studies focused on the shifts in its sediment dynamics due to such human activities. In this study multi-decadal development of sediment dynamics in the transitional zone of the two large estuaries was analyzed, based on the synchronous hydrographic data in the winter of 2023, 2014 and 1983. The results revealed significant changes in regional hydrodynamics and suspended sediment transport, despite the continuous good correlations between the current velocity, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), water/sediment fluxes and tidal range. Specifically, the current velocity has been decreased by 8 - 21% after 2014, mainly due to the land reclamation (implemented around 2016) with several groins stretching into deep water and altering alongshore hydrodynamics. The SSC has decreased further by 29 - 38% in addition to the significant decrease during 1983 - 2014. The SSC changes are related to the combination of river damming which induced sediment load reduction and land reclamation which enclosed a large amount of sediment. Furthermore, the sediment transport from Changjiang Estuary to Hangzhou Bay decreased by 36% - 53%, explaining the observed bed erosion in the northern bay mouth in recent years. The findings are also relevant for studies on sediment dynamics in other large estuaries worldwide.@en

The world’s coasts and deltas are progressively threatened by climate change and human activities. The degree at which coastlines can adapt to these changes strongly depends on the sediment availability. The availability of muddy sediments is however poorly known. This study aims at developing a mud budget for the world’s largest system of uninterrupted tidal flats: the Wadden Sea. The resulting mud budget is nearly closed: ~ 12 million ton/year enters the system on its western end, ~ 1.5 million ton/year is added by local rivers, while ~ 12 million ton annually deposits or is extracted by anthropogenic activities. A mud deficit already exists in the downdrift areas, which will only become more pronounced with increased sea level rise rates. Mud is thus a finite resource similar to sand, and should be treated as such in sediment management strategies. Resolving future challenges will therefore require a cross-border perspective on sediment management.@en

The Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt Delta is a low-lying delta in the Netherlands and Belgium. Its three major rivers, which drain a significant part of Northwest Europe, come together in a complex system of islands and channels. The delta is densely populated and of major economic interest to these countries. As most of it lies below mean sea level, it is heavily protected by major flood defence works. These strongly interfere, however, with the natural system, leading to a variety of undesired responses. The same goes for the numerous other human interventions with the system. Innovative methods are developed to mitigate or compensate these effects.@en

Tidal flats are shrinking in extent globally. The dynamics of the response of estuarine tidal flats to global environmental changes remain unclear. Tidal-flat morphology is shaped by the interplay among wave and tidal forces, river discharge and sediment supply, and preservation of tidal flats requires a balance between erosional and depositional processes be maintained. Here we assess tidal-flat morphodynamic changes of 40 globally distributed estuaries with contrasting tidal amplitudes between 1986 and 2011 from analyses of 4,939 satellite images. We consider both vegetated and unvegetated intertidal areas. From comparisons with remote-sensing-derived turbidity estimates, we identify a critical turbidity threshold indicative of a minimum sediment supply along with the hydrodynamic forces, which is necessary to maintain tidal flats. Tidal flats in intertidal areas in estuaries with low turbidity face retreat, with the critical turbidity threshold increasing with increasing tidal amplitudes. By contrast, estuaries with high turbidity tend to exhibit laterally or vertically expanding tidal flats. However, despite estuaries with limited tidal ranges having relatively low turbidity thresholds, environmental or anthropogenic alterations can still adversely affect the morphology of tidal flats. Our findings demonstrate the need to consider sediment supply in integrated estuarine management strategies to maintain the ecological integrity and flood defence function of tidal flats.

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Marsh creeks are perceived as important conduits for transporting water and sediment between mudflats and marshes. In order to advance the understanding of the transport mechanisms in creeks, the source and ultimate sink of sediment which moves between mudflats and marshes through creek channels need further investigation. Therefore, two field campaigns were conducted in two intertidal systems with varying sediment availability. The water depth, flow velocity, suspended sediment concentration, and bed level change were measured simultaneously in a marsh creek and on the adjacent mudflat in Chongming Island (China) and in Paulina Saltmarsh (the Netherlands). Paulina Saltmarsh is much smaller, more frequently flooded, and has lower sediment concentration than Chongming. These contrasting conditions allow for a comparison of transport mechanisms and functioning of the creek. Both systems first show that the high suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measured in marsh creeks is mainly the consequence of sediment advection rather than local erosion. In addition, erosion in marsh creeks is usually limited during ebb tides, reducing the export of sediment through these creeks. However, differences have been observed between two systems. The measured SSC was highly asymmetric between flood and ebb tides in Chongming. Large peaks in SSC during the flood period can be observed for most tidal cycles. The marsh creeks in Chongming therefore function as conduits for sediment import. Additionally, there are distinct overbank and underbank tides in Chongming. Sediment was trapped and retained in creeks during underbank tides, which can then be eroded and transported to the marsh during subsequent overbank tides. We also observed that mudflats in Chongming quickly recovered after erosion. These mechanisms have not been observed in Paulina Saltmarsh, where net sediment export via the marsh creek was observed due to a lack of abundant sediment in suspension during flood tides. Furthermore, the remaining bed surface of mudflats after an erosion event was stronger than before, limiting further erosion in Paulina Saltmarsh. These findings from the two systems indicate that the role of creeks in sediment import/export depends on the availability of sediment from mudflats, shedding light on nourishment strategies for salt marshes.

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The survival of salt marshes, especially facing future sea-level rise, requires sediment supply. Sediment can be supplied to salt marshes via two routes: through marsh creeks and over marsh edges. However, the conditions of tides and waves that facilitate sediment import through these two routes remain unclear. To understand when and how sediment is imported into salt marshes, 2-month measurements were conducted to monitor tides, waves, and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in Paulina Saltmarsh, a meso-macrotidal system. The results show that the marsh creek tends to import sediment during neap tides with waves. A tidal cycle with a small tidal range result in weaker flow in the marsh creek during ebb tides, reducing the export of sediment. Waves enhance sediment supply to the marsh creek by eroding mudflats. However, strong waves can directly resuspend sediment in marsh creeks during spring tides when the water level is above the marsh canopy, enhancing sediment export through creeks. Net sediment import over marsh edges requires the opposite tidal and wave conditions: spring tides with weak waves. Spring tides provide stronger hydrodynamics, facilitating sediment import over the marsh edge. Increased SSC during the ebb phase can occur with strong waves over the marsh edge, resulting in net sediment export. Therefore, the net import or export of sediment, through the creek and over the marsh edge, depends on the combination of tidal and wave conditions. These conditions can vary between estuaries and even individual marshes. Understanding these conditions is crucial for better management of salt marshes.

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Storm surge barriers and closure dams influence estuarine morphology. Minimizing consequential ecological impacts requires a thorough understanding of the morphological adaptation mechanisms and associated time scales. Both are unraveled using three decades of morphological measurements on the adaptation of the Eastern Scheldt estuary (The Netherlands) to a storm surge barrier and closure dams. Both the storm surge barrier (through a decrease in cross-sectional area) and closure dams (inducing a reduction in surface area of the estuary) contributed to a reduction in tidal prism. As a smaller tidal prism implies a smaller equilibrium volume of the channels, the channels demand sediment to adjust. Consequently, by providing sediment to the channels, the intertidal flats erode. Erosion rates decreased while the sediment demand of the channels attenuated. This attenuation in sediment demand resulted mainly from tidal prism gains, caused by intertidal flat erosion and sea level rise. Erosion rates of the intertidal flats decreased further while they flattened to adapt to the reduced tidal velocities. Furthermore, storms caused erosion events, after which the long-term adaptation pace of intertidal flats suddenly reduced. Despite decreasing erosion, sea level rise enhances the drowning of intertidal flats in sediment-scarce estuarine systems, thereby pressuring these estuarine ecosystems and raising the need for mitigation measures.

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A general increase in the bankfull width and depth is found in downstream reaches because of upstream damming, especially in the braided reach of the Lower Yellow River (LYR), but the magnitude of bank erosion and its relation with bed incision remain little explored. Here based on long-term measured cross-sectional profiles (1999–2020), a quantitative method is proposed to estimate the bank erosion volume in the braided reach of the Lower Yellow River, with the contribution of bank erosion to the channel scour volume further determined. A quantitative relation was developed and calibrated between bank erosion width and bed incision depth, using the sediment continuity equation and measured data. The results indicate that: (i) significant bank erosion and bed incision processes are prevalent in the braided reach and its sub-reaches, with the bankfull widths increasing by 317–511 m and the bankfull depths increasing by 1.9–2.4 m in these reaches after the operation of the Xiaolangdi (XLD) Reservoir in 1999. Bank erosion has been dominant over bank accretion at more than 71% of the sections in the braided reach, with the most active bank deformation detected in the middle sub-reach. (ii) The cumulative bank erosion volumes temporally increased and spatially decreased, with the value of 1.80×10⁸ m³ in the upper sub-reach (R1), 1.52×10⁸ m³ in the middle sub-reach (R2), 1.08×10⁸ m³ in the lower sub-reach (R3), and 4.40×10⁸ m³ in the whole braided reach during the period of 1999–2020. Bank erosion contributed 33% of the cumulative channel scour volume in the braided reach, with a close relation developed between cumulative bank erosion volume and the previous 5-year average incoming sediment coefficient during flood seasons. (iii) A close inverse relation exists between bank erosion and bed incision in the whole braided reach and its sub-reaches, with the coefficients of determination greater than 0.90, which indicated that bank erosion hindered the process of bed incision. If there was no bank erosion after 1999, the cumulative bed incision depth would increase by at least 0.7 m in each reach. Furthermore, a similar quantitative relation was also applied to calculate the cumulative bed incision depth and bank erosion width in the braided reach during the period of 1960–1964 (the first stage after operation of the Sanmenxia Reservoir). Quite high accuracy was achieved in this analysis, with the coefficient of determination being equal to 0.96.

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De-reclamation is a common strategy used for the restoration of tidal flats. In this study, we investigate the morphodynamic response of tidal channel networks and tidal flats after de-reclamation initiatives using the Delft3D numerical model. We find that tidal channel networks that have undergone reclamation and retreat projects have a lower drainage density (8.95 km⁻¹) than that of channel networks that formed naturally (11.33 km⁻¹), and the drainage efficiency of natural formed channel networks is almost three times greater than restored channel networks. These findings indicate that de-reclamation alone cannot fully erase the imprinting of the previous reclamation. We also find that the ultimate effectiveness of de-reclamation is affected by the geographical layout and unchanneled path length of the inchoate main creek system. In addition, following the implementation of de-reclamation, the immediate opening of previously enclosed areas amplifies the tidal prism, thereby intensifying tidal scouring and resulting in significant erosion, with erosion rate reaching hundreds of millimeters per day. Such losses can be remediated under sufficient sediment supply and prevented through the construction of artificial channels. However, this severe erosion may escalate under an insufficient sediment supply or a heightened tidal prism, potentially leading to permanent loss. These findings constitute an important reference for future engineering practices that support the safety and sustainability of coastal resources.

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Future sediment transport from the North Sea coasts to the Dutch Wadden Sea for various future sea level scenarios has been studied because it influences the future sand nourishment demand for the maintenance of the coastline and because it determines bio-geomorphological development of the Wadden Sea. The present study focuses on two questions which have not yet been considered in the previous modelling studies using ASMITA: How will the transport develop around drowning of the intertidal flats in the Wadden Sea? How will tidal range change influence the future sediment exchange? By using SLR scenarios with faster acceleration and running the simulations for longer periods of time some inlets exhibited drowning, i.e., where the tidal flat volume vanishes. When drowning occurs, the sediment import rate approaches a maximum or a minimum, depending on the initial morphological state of the tidal inlet system. This maximum or minimum rate for a certain tidal inlet system depends on the SLR scenario. Theoretical analysis as well as modelling results show that tidal range change will influence the sediment import to the Wadden Sea. A tidal range increase will cause a decrease of the sediment demand in the Wadden Sea resulting into less sediment import to the Wadden Sea. It is thus important to study the tidal range development in the Wadden Sea by considering the interaction between SLR, tidal range change and morphological development in the system. It is further concluded that the empirical relation used in the previous studies is not representative of conditions in a tidal basin with fixed basin area, even though this relation has been derived from field observations in many tidal inlet systems worldwide. The equilibrium channel volume should be proportional to the tidal prism instead of to its 1.5^th power.

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Water and mass transport in distributary channel networks play an important role in nourishing fluvial and coastal wetlands, and are largely determined by the morphological configurations of channel bifurcations. While the morphological equilibrium of a single channel bifurcation has been extensively studied, the equilibrium configurations of channel networks with connecting channels linking the bifurcating branches, that is, the “bifurcation-connecting channel” units that are commonly found in rivers, deltas and estuaries, remain elusive. In this simple yet representative channel network of the “bifurcation-connecting channel” unit, we observed through numerical simulations an oscillatory water partitioning under moderate Shields stress and channel aspect ratio, in addition to the steady-state solutions reported in previous studies. The oscillatory water partitioning indicates a newly discovered periodic solution, which is an emergent behavior under constant boundary conditions. We found that the periodic solution is primarily due to the dynamic interactions between bifurcation instability and water surface slope advantage in the two branches modulated by the reversable discharges through the connecting channel, under moderate Shields stress and channel aspect ratio. In such cases, the developed slope advantage in the subordinate branch can suppress the deepening of the dominant branch and eventually lead to the shifting of the dominant branch. In contrast, the channel network attains a steady-state solution when the slope advantage or the bifurcation instability is dominant with relatively low and high Shields stress (or channel aspect ratio). Our results improve the understanding on the evolution and restoration of channel networks under increasing human interventions in global deltas.

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Creeks are essential for salt marshes by conveying water and sediment through this geomorphic system. In this paper, we investigate the mechanisms that determine the residual sediment flux using measurements conducted in tidal creeks in salt marshes of the Yangtze Estuary. A main creek and a secondary creek were studied to explore whether the mechanisms determining residual sediment fluxes through the main creek differ from those in the secondary creek. Measurements in creeks were carried out over 5 years, spanning different months. Sediment import was found during most tides, both in the main creek and the secondary creek, implying that creeks in Chongming generally function as a conveyor belt of sediment into the marsh. However, sediment export can occur during certain overbank tides. When comparing the role of creeks in drainage and sediment delivery, the main creek functions more in delivering sediment while the secondary creek primarily serves as a drainage conduit. To better understand the mechanisms behind sediment fluxes, the residual sediment flux was compared with the residual discharge and the sediment differential (differences in sediment concentration between flood and ebb). Overbank tides generally lead to a net outward discharge as more water from saltmarshes can be concentrated into the marsh creek during ebb tides. This net outward discharge tends to export more sediment during ebb tides. However, due to the sediment abundance during the flood phase in the turbid environment, sediment import can be expected even with the residual export of water. Export of sediment was only found for the few tides with a net outward discharge and a small positive sediment concentration differential. Large negative sediment differentials (larger averaged suspended sediment concentration during ebb tides) have not been observed because the sediment supply during ebb is limited. This paper unravels how the sediment differential and residual discharge contribute to the residual sediment flux, providing a better understanding of sediment dynamics in marsh creek systems.

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Deltaic channel networks are important conduits for water and material supplies to the fluvial and coastal communities. However, increasing human interventions in river deltas have altered the topology and geometry of channel networks as well as their long-term evolution. While the morphological evolution of a single channel has received extensive studies, the system-wide morphological responses of channel networks to local disturbances remain largely unclear. Here we investigate the morphological responses of a bifurcating channel network subject to local disturbance of channel deepening due to dredging and sand mining through idealized simulations, and further compare the results with the reference scenarios of a single channel and theoretical analysis of the phase plane. The results show that the infilling of the local deepening is associated with the erosion of the entire branch, which also causes system-wide effects on the siltation of the other branch. The morphological responses of the bifurcating channel network consist of a relatively short stage for the infilling of the local deepening followed by a relatively long stage for recovering the equilibrium configuration of the river bifurcation. The system-wide effects of the local disturbance arise from the altered water surface slope and water partitioning downstream of the bifurcation due to the local deepening. Also, the prolonged recovery of the equilibrium configuration is consistent with theoretical analysis, which reveals a slow evolution of the bifurcation when approaching the equilibrium. Our results can help understand the long-term morphological responses of large-scale complex channel networks and inform water managements under increasing human interventions.

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Many estuaries and tidal basins are strongly influenced by various human interventions (land reclamations, infrastructure development, channel deepening, dredging and disposal of sediments). Such interventions lead to a range of hydrodynamic and morphological responses (a changing channel depth, tidal amplitude and/or suspended sediment concentration). The response time of a system to interventions is determined by the processes driving this change, the size of the system, and the magnitude of the intervention. A quantitative understanding of the response time to an intervention therefore provides important insight into the processes driving the response. In this paper we develop and apply a methodology to estimate the response timescales of human interventions using available morphological and hydraulic data. Fitting an exponential decay function to data with sufficient temporal resolution yields an adaptation timescale (and equilibrium value) of the tidal range and deposited sediment volumes. The method has been applied in the Dutch Wadden Sea, where two large basins were reclaimed and where long-term and detailed bathymetric maps are available. Exponential fitting the morphological data revealed that closure of a very large part of a tidal basin in the Wadden Sea initially led to internal redistribution and import of coarse and fine sediments, and was followed by a phase of extensive redistribution while only fine-grained sediments are imported. Closure of a smaller part of a smaller basin led to shorter response timescales, and these response timescales are also more sensitive to rising mean sea levels or high waters. The method has also been applied to tidal water level observations in the Scheldt and Ems estuaries. Exponential fits to tidal data reveal that adaptation timescales are shortest at the landward limit of dredging. The adaptation time increases in the landward direction because of retrogressive erosion (Scheldt) or lowering of the hydraulic roughness (Ems). The seaward increase in adaptation time is related to the seaward widening of both systems.@en

Intertidal flats are of great socio-economic and ecological importance in defending the coastal cities from flooding, providing resources for land reclamations and habits for wildlife. On the intertidal flats, milder profiles are usually featured with finer sediment. However, we find the opposite relationship between the alongshore variation in intertidal slope and sediment grain size on the intertidal flat along the Jiangsu Coast. With a conceptual figure of the hydrodynamics and shoreline evolution on this coast, we hypothesize that the unexpected pattern is caused by the alongshore gradient in hydrodynamic forcing. In order to test our hypothesis, we carry out a series of numerical model simulations in a highly schematized manner to investigate the real mechanism behind this unexpected pattern. Through the analysis, we find that only the southwards coarsening pattern is inconsistent with the shoreline evolution pattern. This inconsistency is not induced by alongshore hydrodynamic gradient, and can only be explained by different sediment provenances. We also find that the alongshore shoreline evolution pattern is not only determined by the alongshore gradient in hydrodynamic forcing, but also influenced by the alongshore variation in bed composition. In the erosion/sedimentation transition zone, the bed composition factor plays the major role.@en

Existing knowledge about groyne-induced effects is primarily based on riverine or coastal environments where salinity gradients are absent or limited. However, in estuaries, salinity gradients drive physical processes such as longitudinal and lateral residual flows. The effect of groynes is much more complex because they can modulate channel hydrodynamics and directly affect lateral salinity gradients. In this study, an idealized model is applied to investigate the effects of groyne layouts in estuarine environments, including effects on (1) channel hydrodynamics, (2) lateral water exchange, (3) Coriolis effects, and (4) saltwater intrusion. Model results show that the aspect ratio (the width of groyne fields to the length of groynes) of groyne fields plays an important role. Groynes also induce asymmetry of lateral flows, for example, increasing near-bottom shoal-to-channel flows during low water slack. The aspect ratio has opposite effects on horizontal and vertical components of water exchange. A large aspect ratio strengthens horizontal exchange and weakens density-driven currents. For a large-scale groyne field (several kilometers), Coriolis effects introduce a substantial difference in exchange mechanisms along the north and south banks. A medium range of aspect ratio (2.0-3.0) leads to the strongest saltwater intrusion during both neap and spring tides.

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The morphology of tide-dominated systems is progressively influenced by human activities and climate change. Quantitative approaches aiming at understanding or forecasting the effects of interventions and climate change are often aggregated, thereby simplifying or schematizing the investigated area. In this work, we advance on the knowledge of sediment transport processes shaping tidal systems and on methodologies translating schematized model output into physically realistic variables. In terms of improved physics, we systematically evaluate the influence of sand-mud interaction processes. Most tidal systems are shaped by a mixture of sand and mud. Morphological models typically compute transport of sand and mud independently, despite studies clearly demonstrating that their physical behavior is mutually dependent. We investigate the effects of two interaction mechanisms (erosion interaction and roughness interaction, applied with varying mud erodibility) with a schematized process-based morphodynamic model. We convert model output into metrics that describe the meso-scale configuration of the modeled systems, allowing a quantitative comparison of scenarios. Modeled patterns and intertidal flat shape, size and composition widely vary with mud erodibility settings, but equally depend on the evaluated sand-mud interaction mechanisms (with erosion interaction having a larger effect than roughness interaction). Sand-mud interaction thus needs to be accounted for from a physical point of view, but also to improve predictions of tidal basin evolution models, particularly the (bimodally distributed) sediment composition of intertidal flats.

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