The Role of Cohesive Sediment in Sand Wave Formation

Effective planning of sediment extraction from coastal shelves requires a detailed understanding of bed form dynamics in relation to sediment properties. Sand waves are most relevant, as their wavelength (hundreds of meters) is comparable to typical extraction pit lengths. Thus far, sand wave dynamics has mainly been researched for non-cohesive sediment mixtures. However, the role of cohesive sediment has never been explored, whilst the impact of cohesive sediment on sand wave occurrence might be profound [2]. In this study, we specifically focus on the interaction between cohesive sediment and sand waves.