Sediment bank contribution to form a vortex and a deep scour hole on tidal channel meander

Published: 5 December 2020| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/8g8cf6jcgh.1
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Description

This dataset aims to examine the potential mechanism that generated a deep scour hole in the thalweg of a narrow tidal meander located in the Bahia Blanca estuary (Argentina). Based on bathymetric, currents, and sediment data collected through oceanographic surveys, we hypothesize that a sediment bank within the channel can modify the tidal current pattern contributing to the formation and maintenance of a deep hole in the meander curvature. Based on our data, we found that the formation and maintenance of the scour hole are possible because of a vortex forced by the presence of an elongated sandy bank connected to the tidal channel bank that acts as a barrier to the currents, inducing the modification of the typical meander current pattern. The currents curvature favoring the establishment of the scour hole in the thalweg on the north channel bank, and the presence of a countermeander causes an attenuation of the current velocities mainly during the flood. On the other hand, the present sediment characteristics at the bottom of the hole allow us to assume that the scour hole is now at a stage of dynamic equilibrium with the current conditions.

Files

Steps to reproduce

The data is divided into three folders: Bathymetry and sediment samples, ADCP, and ADP. The bathymetry and sediment samples folder contains the bathymetric data of the portion of the tidal channel studied. Also, in the same folder are the granulometric data of the collected sediment samples. In the ADCP and ADP folder, there are the tidal current data files. In addition, there is a .xls file that indicates the names of the directories and the respective date and time of each measurement

Institutions

Instituto Argentino de Oceanografia

Categories

Estuarine Circulation, Geomorphology, Marine Geology

Licence