Sedimentological studies of the ebb-tidal deltas along the West Frisian Islands, the Netherlands

Abstract

Ebb-tidal deltas are sediment accumulations on the seaward side of and morphologically and dynamically connected to tidal inlets, and they fonn important morphological elements along barrier islands. They are deposited primarily by ebb-tidal currents through inlets and modified by open marine processes, e.g., waves, longshore currents and tidal currents. Fresh water discharge and direct terrestrial sediment supply are minor or negligible factors. Moslow and Tye (1985) suggested that tidal inlet deposits are volumetrically the most significant barrier shoreline sedimentary facies. Sediments deposited as inlet-fill generally account for 30%-50% of the Holocene subsurface of several modern barrier island systems (Tye, 1981; Heron et al., 1984, Moslow and Tye, 1985)