1. No category

Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Mapping geodiversity in the Wadden Sea
Verner Brandbyge Ernstsen
Research Group Dynamic Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology
Section for Geography
Wadden Sea Research 2015, Esbjerg, 15 April 2015
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Introduction
Diverse landscape
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Introduction
Dynamic landscape
Bed elevation range (m/y) (1984-2006)
(Kösters and Winter, 2014
– Geo-Marine Letters)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Introduction
Major components of geodiversity
(from Thomas, 2012 – Quaestiones Geographicae)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Introduction
Components of geomorphological diversity
(from Thomas, 2012 – Quaestiones Geographicae)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Introduction
Spatial and temporal scales
(after Cowell and Thom, 1994 – in Coastal Evolution, Cambridge)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Introduction
Aim
 To investigate landform dynamics and landscape evolution and
sensitivity.
 To investigate the potential of integrating geodiversity in planning and
management.
Objectives
 To develop methodologies to map and quantify geodiversity (e.g.
geomorphological diversity).
 To develop conceptual models of landform dynamics and landscape
evolution.
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Case study examples
Tides
Semi-diurnal
Tidal range:
Tidal prism:
Grådyb
Knudedyb
~1.5 m
~150x10 6 m3
~1.6 m
~175x10 6 m3
Winds
Strong westerly
Tidal inlet
Throat width:
Channel width:
Channel depths:
Grådyb
~4 km
~1 km
10-13 m
~7 km
~1 km
10-20 m
Knudedyb
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Methods
Vessel borne multibeam imaging
Bridging scales
(www.forskningsskib.au.dk)
(www.niwa.co.nz)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Methods
Airborne laser imaging
Bridging scales
…and environments
(Mandlburger et al., 2012 –
Geophysical Research Abstracts)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Methods
Geomorphometry
Extraction of land-surface
parameters and objects from
digital elevation models (DEMs)
(Pike et al., 2009 – in Geomorphometry –
concepts, software, applications, Elsevier)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Grådyb
-
Inlet channel morphology
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
l Ebb
k Flood
(NASA Landsat)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Grådyb
-
Bedform morphology
Ebb-directed saddle-shaped,
compound primary-bedforms
(L = 60 – 150 m; H = 1 - 3 m)
Superimposed secondary-bedforms
(L = 2 – 10 m; H = 0.1 – 0.5 m)
l Ebb
k Flood
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
2005
Scour hole dimensions:
~100 m x ~60 m x ~3 m
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
2006
2005
Scour hole dimensions:
~100 m x ~60 m x ~3 m
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
2007
2006
2005
Scour hole dimensions:
~100 m x ~60 m x ~3 m
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
2008
2007
2006
2005
Scour hole dimensions:
~100 m x ~60 m x ~3 m
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Scour hole dimensions:
~100 m x ~60 m x ~3 m
water depth (m DVR90)
15 14 13 12 11 10 9
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
Elevation
(m DVR90)
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1.5
-
Intertidal flat morphology
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
-
Bedform orientations
m DVR90
1.5
-1.5
n = 265
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
-
Sand transport pathways
(Klagenberg et al., 2008,
after Sigismund and Schrum, 2001)
m DVR90
1.5
-1.5
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
-
Sand transport pathways
m DVR90
1.5
-1.5
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
-
Sand transport pathways
m DVR90
1.5
-1.5
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
-
Sand transport pathways
Competance:
I: ~1.2x10 -3 (from DEM)
D: ~10 cm (from Fagherazzi and Mariotti, 2012)
uf: ~3.5 cm/s
Suspension (Bagnold): fine sand (0.125-0.25 mm)
Bedload (Shields): very coarse sand (1-2 mm)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Knudedyb
-
Geomorphology and processes
Conceptual model of sand transport pathways
Flood tide:
Sand transported across
the intertidal flat towards
the inner tidal basin.
Late ebb tide:
Sand transported in drainage
channels from the intertidal
flat towards the inlet channel.
SW storm:
Sand transported from
the inlet channel towards
the intertidal flat.
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Perspectives and concluding remarks
Integrating geodiversity and biodiversity
(from Gray, 2004 – Geodiversity – valuing and conserving abiotic nature,
after Richards et al., 2002 – Freshwater Biology)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Perspectives and concluding remarks
Integrated planning and management
(from Gray, 2004 – Geodiversity – valuing and conserving abiotic nature)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Perspectives and concluding remarks
 New technologies enable the development of methodologies to map and
quantify geodiversity.
 New technologies and methodologies enable the development of
conceptual models of landform dynamics, and potentially the
development of landscape evolution models.
 These developments enable an integration of geodiversity in planning
and management.
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Collaboration and acknowledgements
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen
Jesper Bartholdy and Aart Kroon
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany
Christian Winter, Alice Lefebvre, Marius Becker and Serena Fraccascia
Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Alex Bartholomä and Burg W. Flemming
NIRAS - Mapping
Laurids Rolighed Larsen
AHM Airborne Hydro Mapping, Innsbruck, Austria
Frank Steinbacher
QPS Fledermaus