Applications of the Sediment-Transport Path Model to the Tidal Flats of Garolim Bay, West Coast of Korea

Bidirectional transport trend using the sediment-transport path model was identified in the two areas, sand ridge area and tidal mudflat in Garolim Bay, which is located in the mid-western coast of Korean Peninsular. This model exhibits the two-dimensional view of clear sediment transport trend based on data of changes in sediment statistics such as mean, sorting, and skewness, Garolim Bay was selected to test for the sediment-transport path model developed by McLaren and Bowles [1985]. Line-S, a typical tidal mudflat and representative of the Garolim Bay tidal flats, is well tested by this model, showing a clear seasonal change and coarsening-trend seaward (case C). This indicates that strong ebb currents carried relatively coarser sediments seaward with respect to high energy regime. Seasonally, this energy regime slowly decreases toward the summer in contrast with an increase of energy regime of flood tides, carrying coarser sediments landward (case C) in the summer. However, the Line-D area does not show consistent transport trend with respect to time-series. Separated and scattered events show fining trend landward (case B) in the sand ridge itself. The finining-trend (case B) either seaward and landward is not chiefly important in both the entire Line-D area and sand ridge itself. Also, the coarsening-Trend (case C) landward is not significant in the sand ridge itself. Consequently, in reality, the selection of suitable and representative locations are very important to fit with this model.