Chapter Four High Mud-Supply Shores

Publisher Summary Mudbank shores are associated with high rates of mud supply to wave- exposed open coasts and are associated with processes dominated by wave activity. Mudbank formation, migration, and interactivity with the shore are associated with specific wave-dampening processes that determine cross-shore and longshore mudbank dynamics. Research on the mechanisms of shoreline progradation and clinoform development necessitates a comprehension of frontal mechanisms of mud concentration, and has been significantly aided by remote sensing techniques complemented by field measurements, notably on mud deposition rates. Shorefaces in the vicinity of large river mouths may exhibit bed and sediment characteristics directly influenced by estuary-mouth and deltaic processes. In these conditions, the delta front normally exhibits a progressive, offshore decrease in the bulk grain size, associated with gradually thinning and fining sandy beds, and a corresponding increase in the thickness of the mud interbeds.