Figure 7

Distributions in hydrodynamic forcing for variations in water depth and bed level. (a) Water level time series over a single tidal cycle (29 November 2016) at the Zuidgors intertidal flat (Western Scheldt). The horizontal lines indicate 20 cm bins. (b) The corresponding probability distribution of the water level across these bins. (c) The probability distribution of the water level over a full year (2016). (d) Water depth versus flow velocities at \({\hbox {F}}_{\mathrm{L}}\) (10 min interval). The wind-induced flow during the storm event of Fig. 4 is marked with the ellipse. (e) Water levels at which the velocities peak at \({\hbox {F}}_{\mathrm{L}}\), versus the high water of each tide. The storm of Fig. 4 is indicated. Both axes are scaled along mean low water (MLW; 0) and mean high water (MHW; 1). (f) Water depth versus the wave-induced shear stresses at \({\hbox {F}}_{\mathrm{L}}\) (10 min interval). (g) Significant wave height versus water depth measured at \({\hbox {F}}_{\mathrm{L}}\) (10 min interval), with the wave-breaking index \(\gamma \) indicated. (h) For a range in bed levels (scaled along MLW and MHW) the probability that the water depth is within a certain 20 cm bin is indicated with the colours, using the distribution of (c). The diagonal dotted region indicates the water depths at which the tidal velocities peak, using the average and standard deviation of (e). The range of depths at which the wave-induced shear stress peaks, based on (f), are indicated on the left. The vertical dashed lines show the position of the frames.