An asymmetry in wave scaling drives outsized quantities of coastal wetland erosion.

ABSTRACT: Wetland shorelines around the world are susceptible to wave erosion. Previous work has suggested that the lateral erosion rate of their cliff-like edges can be predicted as a function of intercepting waves, and yet numerous field studies have shown that other factors, for example, tidal currents or mass wasting of differing soil types, induce a wide range of variability. Our objective was to isolate the unique effects of wave heights, wavelengths, and water depths on lateral erosion rates and then synthesize a mechanistic understanding that can be applied globally. We found a potentially universal relationship, where the lateral erosion rates increase exponentially as waves increase in height but decrease exponentially as waves become longer in length. These findings suggest that wetlands

SUBMITTER: Feagin RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10631725 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature