Diagnosis of the Sediment Transport in the Belgian Coastal Zone

The sediment transport in the Belgian Coastal Zone (BCZ) is diagnosed. The hydrodynamics of the BCZ is dominated by the tides and by prevailing winds and wave conditions. Using the Constituent-oriented Age and Residence time Theory, resuspension and horizontal transport of sediments can be studied. The application of the theory allows the computation of transport rates of mud in the coastal zone as a function of the characteristics of the sediments. Cadmium and Copper tend to exhibit an inverse relationship with salinity, suggesting that heavy metals behave like dissolved tracers. It is concluded that the different transport routes and transport rates of different sediment classes play a significant part in the transport of attached pollutants.