Erosion and accretion patterns on intertidal mudflats of the Yangtze River Estuary in response to storm conditions

Understanding of erosion and accretion patterns over intertidal mudflats during storm periods is vital for the management and sustainable development of coastal areas. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the 2014 storm Fung-wong on the erosion and accretion patterns of the Nanhui intertidal mudflats in the Yangtze estuary, China, based on field measurements and Delft3D numerical modeling. Results show that prolonged easterly winds during the storm enhance the flood velocity, weaken the ebb velocity, and even change the current direction. The current velocity, wave heights, and bed-level changes increased by 1–1.43 times, 2.40–3.88 times, and 2.28–2.70 times than those of normal weather, respectively. The mudflats show a spatial pattern of overall erosion but increasing erosion magnitude from the high (landward) mudflat to the low (seaward) mudflat during the storm. The magnitude of bed-level change increases with increasing wind speed, but the spatial pattern of erosion and accretion remains the same. The main reason for this pattern is the longer submersion duration of the low mudflat compared with the high mudflat, so the hydrodynamic process is longer and stronger, leading to an enhancement in bed shear stress and sediment transport rate. Wind speed increases the hydrodynamic intensity but does not affect on the submersion duration over each part of the intertidal mudflat. This study is helpful to improve the understanding of physical processes during storms on intertidal mudflats and provides a reference for their protection, utilization, and management, as well as for research in related disciplines.