Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/H007954/1
Morphodynamics and sedimentology of the tidally-influenced fluvial zone (TIFZ)
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor PJ Ashworth, University of Brighton, Sch of Environment and Technology
- Grant held at:
- University of Brighton, Sch of Environment and Technology
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Freshwater
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Global Change
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Science Topics:
- Earth Surface Processes
- Land - Ocean Interactions
- Earth Resources
- Sediment/Sedimentary Processes
- Abstract:
- All rivers across the globe that exit to the ocean contain a zone, which can be 100s of kilometres long, which is transitional between river and tidal environments (termed here the Tidally-Influenced Fluvial Zone, or TIFZ). This zone is one of the most complex environments on the surface of the Earth because it is an area where both river flow and tidal currents are significant, and these competing forces vary daily, seasonally and annually. These regions are important to mankind and form some of the areas of highest population density: they are strategically important in the present day because these zones are at the interface of competing demands for shipping, aquaculture, land reclamation and nature conservation. Thus in order to better maintain, manage and protect these fragile zones, we must understand how and why these regions change and what factors control such change. Additionally, the sediments of ancient TIFZs may contain significant volumes of hydrocarbons which are increasingly the target for many energy companies. For example, the Athabasca oil sands form the largest petroleum deposit on Earth and these bitumen tars are locked up with ancient TIFZ sediments. Understanding the internal nature of such TIFZ sediments is thus of paramount importance when attempting to extract the maximum quantity of oil (or gas) from such ancient hydrocarbon reservoirs - we need to know what controls the geometry and internal characteristics of these reservoirs, and thus better plan efficient and maximal hydrocarbon extraction strategies. Thus all of these interests in both modern and ancient TIFZ environments depend on a detailed knowledge of the fluid flows in these areas, how such flows transport their sediment and critically how the form (or morphology) of these environments changes through time. However, due to the extraordinary challenges of working in such a complex and dynamic environment, few high-resolution, spatially-representative, field datasets exist and remarkably little work has been undertaken on the diagnostic internal sedimentary structure of such TIFZ deposits. Additionally, whilst there has been progress on the mathematical modelling of estuarine flow and sediment transport, these models remain largely untested. There is therefore a pressing need to link the processes and deposits of the TIFZ through an integrated study of their flow, morphology and sediment movement to quantify the key processes and how these are represented within the subsurface sedimentary record. This proposal outlines an integrated field and mathematical modelling study that seeks to achieve a step-change in our understanding of the TIFZ, using the very latest techniques in field survey and mathematical modelling. These techniques will yield unrivalled high-resolution datasets of bathymetry, flow, sediment transport and sedimentary structure that will then be used to construct and validate new numerical models of the TIFZ. This will ultimately allow evaluation of key unknowns with respect to the TIFZ, such as how such environments evolve under changing scenarios of tidal and fluvial contributions associated with sea-level change, and whether it is possible to differentiate between 'fluvial' and 'tidally' influenced deposits. Such results will transform our understanding of how such TIFZ zones behave in modern environments and critically how these changes may be recognized within ancient sedimentary successions.
- Period of Award:
- 13 Dec 2010 - 12 Dec 2013
- Value:
- £296,381 Lead Split Award
Authorised funds only
- NERC Reference:
- NE/H007954/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grant (FEC)
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £296,381
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DI - Staff | DA - Estate Costs | DI - T&S | DA - Other Directly Allocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £88,194 | £59,694 | £30,433 | £65,745 | £12,620 | £32,756 | £6,940 |
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