Littoral Cell and Sediment

Budget

Coastal Geomorphology

C JOHNSON
 Outline

Littoral Cell
 Definition
 Examples
 Application
Sediment Budget
 Definition
 Application
 Example
 Littoral Cell
Definition
 A coastal compartment that contains a complete cycle of
sedimentation including sources, transport paths, and
sinks
 A section of the coast where the budget of sediment is
balanced
 In theory, the transport rate past the up drift and down
drift boundaries is zero

Key terms: Sediment Source, Transport Path, Sink

 Littoral Cell

Definition
 The sediment sources are commonly:
 Streams
 Eroding sea clif
 Onshore/ofshore sand banks
 Material of biological origin such as shells, coral
fragments, and skeletons of small marine organisms.

Key terms: Sediment Source, Transport Path,

Sink
 Littoral Cell

Definition
 Transport path(s)
 along the coast by waves and currents (longshore
transport, longshore drift, or littoral drift)
 Cross-shore (on/ofshore) paths may include
windblown sand, overwash, and ice-push

Key terms: Sediment Source, Transport

Path, Sink
 Littoral Cell

Definition
 Sediment sinks
 submarine canyons
 shoals or
 onshore dune migration, rollover, and
 deposition in bays and estuaries

Key terms: Sediment Source, Transport Path,

Sink
 Littoral Cell

Examples – Types of coasts

 Collision – Sediment Source
rivers/clifs/blufflands
 Trailing edge - Sediment Source:
headlands/clifs/shelved
 Marginal Sea - Sediment Source: Rivers/delta
 Arctic Form - Shelf/river/thaw erosion
 Coral Reef - Reef material
 Littoral Cell

Examples – Types of coasts

 Collision – Sediment Source
rivers/clifs/blufflands
 Trailing edge - Sediment Source:
headlands/clifs/shelved
 Marginal Sea - Sediment Source: Rivers/delta
 Arctic Form - Shelf/river/thaw erosion
 Coral Reef - Reef material
 Littoral Cell

Examples
 Littoral Cell

Examples
 Littoral Cell

 Application
 Identify processes that will be disturbed or
enhanced by projects
 Sand mining in river bed
 Dam construction
 Groyne construction
 Sediment Budget

Sediment Budget
 Definition
 Application
 Example
 Sediment Budget

Definition
 A sediment budget is a tally of sediment
gains and losses within a cell over a given
time. (US army corps)
 Sediment budgets are a fundamental tool for
management
 Sediment budget equation
 Sediment Budget

Definition
 Sediment Budget
Definition
 Generally, the methods estimate a likely range of values
for the best-known quantities and solve for the lesser-
known terms.
 Volume change data, and removal and placement records
usually provide the foundation for the sediment budget.
 Then, a range of ‘‘accepted’’ longshore transport rates
and a range in relative magnitude of other fluxes are
applied to solve the budget. Imbalance of the equation is
addressed by varying these parameters, and other terms
with great uncertainty, such as ofshore losses
 Sediment Budget

Application
 To quantify the flow rate of sediments entering
and exiting a defined region of the coast and the
surplus or deficit remaining in that region for a
particular time period. (long term/short term)
 To determine the sources and sinks in a littoral
cell through application of the primary
conservation of mass equation.
 A tool for regional planning and management
Sediment
Budget
Example
 North New
Jersey (1966)
Littoral Cell and Sediment
Budget
Conclusion :The littoral cell and its
budget of sediment are essential
planning tools for regional and
coastal management.