Project Details
Description
This project aimed to determine the influence of differing clay mineralogy on sediment stability in Chichester Harbour, Milford Haven and Medway and Fal estuaries.
Alongside this it would identify if certain estuaries in the UK were potentially more susceptible to erosion due to rapid environmental change based on the clay mineral suites present and evaluate the relationship between different clay mineral suites and sediment shear strength.
The estuaries of the UK have significant economic and ecological value. With evidence of both erosion and accumulation of the intertidal areas, there is a great need to understand how these systems will evolve under the pressures of a changing environment.
The physical, biological and geochemical properties of estuarine intertidal sediments are an important factor in sediment stability, with numerous properties and processes affecting sediment cohesion and erosion. Geochemical properties of estuarine intertidal sediments have received very little focus, in particular the effects of clay mineralogy, which is largely known to influence soil erodibilty.
Characteristic properties of clay minerals vary between the different clay groups. These variances are recognised as being a significant factor in erosion resistance, with differing thresholds suggested for each group. The clay mineral groups present within estuarine sediments can vary between locations and are intrinsically linked to the surrounding geological catchment of the location. Intertidal sediments can also display differences in spatial distribution of clay mineral suites within single sites due to complex estuarine processes.
This research aimed to establish if variances in the clay mineral composition of intertidal sediments in the estuaries of the UK are influencing erosion. This would be determined by geochemical analysis and in situ measurement of erosion thresholds of intertidal sediments. The outcomes from this study would assist with the future research and management practices for these systems.
Related projects include worth with Medmerry Nature Reserve into the Managed Realignment Understanding the Development of New Intertidal Processes and with Pagham harbour on the Intertidal Sediment Dynamics of a long-term realignment site.
Alongside this it would identify if certain estuaries in the UK were potentially more susceptible to erosion due to rapid environmental change based on the clay mineral suites present and evaluate the relationship between different clay mineral suites and sediment shear strength.
The estuaries of the UK have significant economic and ecological value. With evidence of both erosion and accumulation of the intertidal areas, there is a great need to understand how these systems will evolve under the pressures of a changing environment.
The physical, biological and geochemical properties of estuarine intertidal sediments are an important factor in sediment stability, with numerous properties and processes affecting sediment cohesion and erosion. Geochemical properties of estuarine intertidal sediments have received very little focus, in particular the effects of clay mineralogy, which is largely known to influence soil erodibilty.
Characteristic properties of clay minerals vary between the different clay groups. These variances are recognised as being a significant factor in erosion resistance, with differing thresholds suggested for each group. The clay mineral groups present within estuarine sediments can vary between locations and are intrinsically linked to the surrounding geological catchment of the location. Intertidal sediments can also display differences in spatial distribution of clay mineral suites within single sites due to complex estuarine processes.
This research aimed to establish if variances in the clay mineral composition of intertidal sediments in the estuaries of the UK are influencing erosion. This would be determined by geochemical analysis and in situ measurement of erosion thresholds of intertidal sediments. The outcomes from this study would assist with the future research and management practices for these systems.
Related projects include worth with Medmerry Nature Reserve into the Managed Realignment Understanding the Development of New Intertidal Processes and with Pagham harbour on the Intertidal Sediment Dynamics of a long-term realignment site.
Key findings
Preliminary results from the CSM tests identified the pure Kaolinite samples as having a lower erosion threshold than the pure Smectite samples. The erosion thresholds of the marine water mixed clay samples show an initial increase with greater concentrations of Kaolinite.
This increase sharply declines on reaching concentrations ≥ 50% Kaolinite, inferring that lower erosion thresholds were a result of high concentrations of Kaolinite. The addition of freshwater highlighted the significance of a change in water chemistry on the samples. The erosion thresholds of these samples were almost opposite to those prepared using marine water, with greater erosion resistance detected in the higher concentrations of Kaolinite.
XRD analysis of the bulk sediment samples confirmed the existing variations in clay mineralogy between the Camel Estuary and Chichester Harbour. The XRD results, in combination with the CSM lab test data highlight the possibility of variations existing in the erosion thresholds between the estuaries based on the clay mineral composition of the sediments.
Further XRD sample preparation techniques were put in progress to enhance the qualitative and quantitative identification of clay mineral suites along with additional controlled laboratory experiments. Detailed studies of clay mineralogy and in situ.
This increase sharply declines on reaching concentrations ≥ 50% Kaolinite, inferring that lower erosion thresholds were a result of high concentrations of Kaolinite. The addition of freshwater highlighted the significance of a change in water chemistry on the samples. The erosion thresholds of these samples were almost opposite to those prepared using marine water, with greater erosion resistance detected in the higher concentrations of Kaolinite.
XRD analysis of the bulk sediment samples confirmed the existing variations in clay mineralogy between the Camel Estuary and Chichester Harbour. The XRD results, in combination with the CSM lab test data highlight the possibility of variations existing in the erosion thresholds between the estuaries based on the clay mineral composition of the sediments.
Further XRD sample preparation techniques were put in progress to enhance the qualitative and quantitative identification of clay mineral suites along with additional controlled laboratory experiments. Detailed studies of clay mineralogy and in situ.
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 1/09/15 → 31/08/18 |
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