Tectonic and Geomorphic Evolution of Estuaries and Coasts

Abstract

Estuaries are depositional environments which receive and store sediment from both fluvial and marine sources. Their evolution is primarily linked to eustatic sea-level fluctuations, which flood coastal embayments, creating accommodation space for sediment accumulation. The style of infill within an estuary will depend on the five boundary-condition processes of the system: (1) tidal range; (2) wave climate; (3) tectonic stability; (4) glacial history; and (5) magnitude of fluvial inflow. The relative dominance of each process will determine the type of landforms that form within an estuary and resulting sediment facies, which progressively infill the drowned coastal embayment.