Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands

Abstract Large uncertainty surrounds the future physical stability of low-lying coral reef islands due to a limited understanding of the geomorphic response of islands to changing environmental conditions. Physical and numerical modelling efforts have improved understanding of the modes and styles o...

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Main Authors:	Megan E. Tuck, Murray R. Ford, Paul S. Kench, Gerd Masselink
Format:	article
Language:	EN
Published:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Subjects:	Medicine R Science Q
Online Access:	https://doaj.org/article/f4a8c558ac4b4e4ca6b71cb8209a8efa
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:f4a8c558ac4b4e4ca6b71cb8209a8efa2021-12-02T11:37:25ZSediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands10.1038/s41598-021-85076-x2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/f4a8c558ac4b4e4ca6b71cb8209a8efa2021-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85076-xhttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Large uncertainty surrounds the future physical stability of low-lying coral reef islands due to a limited understanding of the geomorphic response of islands to changing environmental conditions. Physical and numerical modelling efforts have improved understanding of the modes and styles of island change in response to increasing wave and water level conditions. However, the impact of sediment supply on island morphodynamics has not been addressed and remains poorly understood. Here we present evidence from the first physical modelling experiments to explore the effect of storm-derived sediment supply on the geomorphic response of islands to changes in sea level and energetic wave conditions. Results demonstrate that a sediment supply has a substantial influence on island adjustments in response to sea-level rise, promoting the increase of the elevation of the island while dampening island migration and subaerial volume reduction. The implications of sediment supply are significant as it improves the potential of islands to offset the impacts of future flood events, increasing the future physical persistence of reef islands. Results emphasize the urgent need to incorporate the physical response of islands to both physical and ecological processes in future flood risk models.Megan E. TuckMurray R. FordPaul S. KenchGerd MasselinkNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Megan E. Tuck Murray R. Ford Paul S. Kench Gerd Masselink Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
description	Abstract Large uncertainty surrounds the future physical stability of low-lying coral reef islands due to a limited understanding of the geomorphic response of islands to changing environmental conditions. Physical and numerical modelling efforts have improved understanding of the modes and styles of island change in response to increasing wave and water level conditions. However, the impact of sediment supply on island morphodynamics has not been addressed and remains poorly understood. Here we present evidence from the first physical modelling experiments to explore the effect of storm-derived sediment supply on the geomorphic response of islands to changes in sea level and energetic wave conditions. Results demonstrate that a sediment supply has a substantial influence on island adjustments in response to sea-level rise, promoting the increase of the elevation of the island while dampening island migration and subaerial volume reduction. The implications of sediment supply are significant as it improves the potential of islands to offset the impacts of future flood events, increasing the future physical persistence of reef islands. Results emphasize the urgent need to incorporate the physical response of islands to both physical and ecological processes in future flood risk models.
format	article
author	Megan E. Tuck Murray R. Ford Paul S. Kench Gerd Masselink
author_facet	Megan E. Tuck Murray R. Ford Paul S. Kench Gerd Masselink
author_sort	Megan E. Tuck
title	Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
title_short	Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
title_full	Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
title_fullStr	Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
title_full_unstemmed	Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
title_sort	sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/f4a8c558ac4b4e4ca6b71cb8209a8efa
work_keys_str_mv	AT meganetuck sedimentsupplydampenstheerosiveeffectsofsealevelriseonreefislands AT murrayrford sedimentsupplydampenstheerosiveeffectsofsealevelriseonreefislands AT paulskench sedimentsupplydampenstheerosiveeffectsofsealevelriseonreefislands AT gerdmasselink sedimentsupplydampenstheerosiveeffectsofsealevelriseonreefislands
_version_	1718395798098542592

Sediment supply dampens the erosive effects of sea-level rise on reef islands

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