EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY ON DEVELOPMENT OF TIDAL CREEK NETWORK

Abstract

This paper presents the laboratory tests on developing process of tidal creek network in the small flume and also validation of numerical model which can replicate the morphodynamic evolution of tidal channel and its geomorphic features. The experimental conditions fully satisfied the kinematic, dynamic and sediment transport similarities between the real and experimental scale. The channel network, which has the similar channel characteristics such as ratio between the channel width and depth observed in real field, was reproduced in the experimental flume. This study also conducted the numerical simulations with experimental conditions for validating the physically-based two-dimensional morphodynamic model. The results showed that the proposed morphodynamic model can simulate reasonably the geometry of channel network and its developing process observed in the experiment.