Output details

Developing a seabed resurvey strategy: A GIS approach to modelling seabed changes and resurvey risk

To maintain safe navigation channels in coastal waters where the seabed changes rapidly in response to waves and currents, bathymetric charts have to be kept up to date by regular and expensive surveys. This paper describes the development of a decision support system to identify areas liable to rapid change. Spatio-temporal data describing waves and currents were used to drive a sediment transport model coupled to a Geographic Information System. It was tested for the complex sandbanks off the coast of East Anglia, and results correctly revealed areas susceptible to rapid change in seabed morphology where re-surveying was required.