Morphodynamics of Sand Ridges on the Shelf: Modelling Effects of Waves, Wind and Tide
Nnafie, A.; de Swart, H.; Verwaest, T. (2026). Morphodynamics of Sand Ridges on the Shelf: Modelling Effects of Waves, Wind and Tide, in: Coelho, C. et al.
Shoreface-connected sand ridges (sfcr) and tidal sand ridges (tsr) are large-scale rhythmic bedforms found on many sandy continental shelves. Previ-ous studies have not addressed the combined impact of waves, wind and tides on the evolution of these ridges. Furthermore, they were unable to simulate sfcr with wave-topography feedbacks. The objectives of this study are to 1) simu-late sfcr in the presence of these feedbacks; and 2) to quantify the combined impact of waves, wind and tide on the evolution of shelf ridges. To this end, a morphodynamic shelf model (Delft3D + SWAN) is used in a setting representa-tive of the Belgian shelf. The model successfully simulates sfcr in the presence of wave-topography feedbacks, producing ridges with characteristics consistent with observations. Regarding 2), a mix of two types of ridges develops on the shelf, which resemble the sfcr and tsr observed on the Belgian shelf. However, a notable difference is that observed tsr are located further offshore than modelled ridges.
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