Abstracts Computer Science

Large-scale sandpits - Hydrodynamic and morphological modelling of large-scale sandpits:

by M.D. Klein

Large-scale, marine sand mining in front ofthe Dutch coast might be necessary in the near future in order to meet the needs of sand for regular engineering works and/or for a possible second Maasvlakte or a national airport on an artificial island. In order to make a socio-economically and environmentally sound decision with respect to location and magnitude of sandpits, one has to know the hydrodynamic and morphological consequences of such large-scale mining areas in advance. This study takes place in the research-program Coast*2000, coordinated by the National Institute for Coastal and Marine ManagementIRIKZ. This study is performed with the Delft3D modelling software. Numerical models of sandpits in all sorts of variants have been used to study the hydrodynamic and morphological behaviour of sandpits. The emphasis in the hydrodynamic part of this study is on the influence of Corio lis and on the orientation of the sandpit with respect to the main current direction. The morphological computations is performed over a period of 1000 years, which is necessary because of the time scale of such bottom disturbances. Aspects ofthe morphological simulations are the propagation of the sandpits, the developments of the slopes and the resemblance in behaviour between sandpits and tidal sand banks.