Fine sediment transport under tidal action

The behavior of fine-grained sediment transport under tidal action is reviewed. Erosion/sediment cycles are the characteristic features, indicating the suspended sediment concentration is primarily governed by local phenomena. The long-term transports cannot be understood without insight into the strongly variable short-term transports. The distribution of fine-grained sediment deposits within an estuary and the properties of the top layer of the bed are essential. The amount of fine-grained sediment in the bottom, potentially available for resuspension under specific conditions, can vary enormously within an estuary. Accurate fine-grained sediment transport predictions often fail because of insufficient knowledge of this factor.