Sand dune erosion is highly episodic occurring only when storm waves coincide with high tides generating swash that impacts the toe of the dune. Owing to the episodic nature of sand dune erosion, it is difficult to observe in nature. The removal of a structure and rip-rap sea-wall from the Stilwell Hall site located in southern Monterey Bay provided a unique opportunity to study erosion processes at an accelerated rate. A 1-D wave impact line erosion model (Larson et al., 2004) was tested against data acquired at this site between April, 2004 and April 2005. The model was optimally tuned to the data by a dimensionless coefficient that relates the impact force to the rate of recession. The coefficient values ranged from 0.7-1.3x10-3, for this field data, compared with values of 1.0-2.5x10-3 previously obtained for lab and field data. Migrating rip currents create a system of mega-cusps, which are nominally 10m in width and 200m in alongshore wavelength (Thornton, 2005). The presence of megacusps is hypothesized to accelerate sand dune erosion at their embayments where the beach is steeper and narrowest (Short, 1979;Shih and Komar, 1984;Revell, et al., 2002). It was determined that the highest recession occurred at the location of the rip current/mega-cusp embayment. Changes in the surf climate are of great interest to Naval Special Warfare (NSW) and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) forces tasked with planning and executing operations in littoral areas. Naval history is replete with operations highlighting the importance of understanding and accurate prediction of nearshore dynamics. Without the ability to predict nearshore morphologic processes, providing such support is impossible.

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This study presents a numerical investigation of a generic horizontal axis cross-flow marine turbine. The numerical tool used is the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics package ANSYS FLUENT 12.0. The numerical model, using the SST k-w turbulence model, is validated against static, dynamic pitching blade and rotating turbine data. The work embodies two main investigations. The first is concerned with the influence of turbine solidity (ratio of net blade chord to circumference) on turbine performance, and the second with the influence of blockage (ratio of device frontal area to channel crosssection area) and free surface deformation on the hydrodynamics of energy extraction in a constrained channel. Turbine solidity was investigated by simulating flows through two-, three- and four-bladed turbines, resulting in solidities of 0.019, 0.029 and 0.038, respectively. The investigation was conducted for two Reynolds numbers, Re = O(10^5) & O(10^6), to reflect laboratory and field scales. Increasing the number of blades from two to four led to an increase in the maximum power coefficient from 0.43 to 0.53 for the lower Re and from 0.49 to 0.56 for the higher Re computations. Furthermore, the power curve was found to shift to a lower range of tip speed ratios when increasing solidity. The effects of flow confinement and free surface deformation were investigated by simulating flows through a three-bladed turbine with solidity 0.125 at Re = O(10^6) for channels that resulted in cross-stream blockages of 12.5% to 50%. Increasing the blockage led to a substantial increase in the power and basin efficiency; when approximating the free surface as a rigid lid, the highest power coefficient and basin efficiency computed were 1.18 and 0.54, respectively. Comparisons between the corresponding rigid lid and free surface simulations, where Froude number, Fr = 0.082, rendered similar results at the lower blockages, but at the highest blockage an increase in power and basin efficiency of up to 7% for the free surface simulations over that achieved with a rigid lid boundary condition. For the free surface simulations with Fr = 0.082, the energy extraction resulted in a drop in water depth of up to 0.7%. An increase in Fr from 0.082 to 0.131 resulted in an increase maximum power of 3%, but a drop in basin efficiency of 21%.

Analysis of continuous monitoring water quality data (temperature, specific conductivity, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity) at two locations in a tidal freshwater creek (Kimages Creek) characterized seasonal variation and responses to short-term events. Supplemental water quality measurements were collected to describe longitudinal variations in the creek. There were significant differences in water quality between the two continuous monitoring stations (one tidal and unforested, the other non-tidal and forested) over varying time scales. Rain events showed increases in turbidity, depth and dissolved oxygen, and reductions in temperature, conductivity, and pH at both stations. Tides influenced the water quality at the downstream monitoring station, but there were also influences at the upstream site despite the presence of beaver impoundments. At the downstream station, changes in conductivity and pH were linked to the tidal cycle while temperature and dissolved oxygen were linked to a diel cycle but also responded to tidal influence.

Tidal freshwater forest restoration after dam removal has been unexplored to date. This study elucidated pre-dam forest composition, as well as post-dam edaphic and microtopographical attributes and woody species recruiting along a narrow ecotone of a 29.3-ha tidal freshwater wetland. The ≈65-year-old historical forest (15 species, 200 stems ha-1) and ≈7-year-old contemporary forest (40 species and 11,009 stems ha-) community dominants were dissimilar (Fraxinus spp. vs. Liquidambar styraciflua, respectively). Pre-dam environmental conditions were unknown. Post-dam edaphic water content, organic matter, redox potential and microtopography differed significantly across tidal sites but were less variable in non-tidal sites. Shifts in the contemporary woody community composition and the concomitant increase in stem density and seedling:sapling ratios with elevation likely owed to significant changes in microtopography and edaphic attributes. Developing ecotones that contain variable microtopography may be extremely important for successful natural woody recruitment after dam removal from a tidal freshwater system.

Few studies have described growth rates of age-0 Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus). Growth rates from tidal freshwater habitats of the Mattaponi and James Rivers, Virginia in 2009 were described and compared using otolith microstructural analyses. Larval tidal freshwater growth rates were significantly faster in the culturally eutrophic James River when compared to those collected from the Mattaponi River (p-value < 0.001). Elevated primary production within tidal freshwater habitats promotes favorable conditions for larval Atlantic menhaden growth. No differences between river habitats for juvenile growth rates were evident. Comparisons of age-0 growth rates to higher salinity habitats indicate that tidal freshwater habitats should be considered essential habitat for age-0 Atlantic menhaden.

A 12-month study (January to December 2015) focused on the effects of tidal forcing on nutrient fluxes in the tidal, freshwater segment of the James River Estuary (JRE). Discrete sampling of nutrient chemistry and continuous monitoring of tidal discharge were used to determine the volume and timing of the tides, and differences in nutrient concentrations between incoming and outgoing tides. The goal of this study was to improve understanding of tidal influence on nutrient fluxes and their role in nutrient transport to the lower estuary. Results suggested that differences in nutrient concentrations between incoming and outgoing tides were small throughout the year. This finding suggests that nutrient fluxes at the study site, near the tidal fresh-oligohaline boundary of the James, are largely determined by tidal volume owing to weak concentrations gradients. Changes in water quality during seaward and landward tidal excursions into deeper versus shallower segments were analyzed to infer biogeochemical processes. Differences in oxygen production and nitrate utilization suggest greater autotrophy during landward excursions, consistent with more favorable light conditions. This work was conducted as a collaborative effort between Virginia Commonwealth University, the USGS, Randolph-Macon College, and Washington and Lee University participating in the “Mountains to the Sea” project.

Manifestations of the tidal force have been known to humanity since an- tiquity. The oldest extant remarks on the origin of the tidal force are in the Natural History of Pliny the Elder. He also left us remarks on periodic changes of water-level in wells. This phenomenon does not necessarily have to be connected to the proximity of seas. As such, it is a subject of research since the end of 19th century. Exploring the mechanisms with which the tidal force affects the groundwater level requires combining the findings of geology and hydrogeology but also the knowledge of hydraulics and geomechanics of porous media and certain understanding of astronomy. This thesis contribu- tes to the knowledge of the mechanism of tidal oscillations in groundwater measured in a borehole near Teplice nad Metují in Police Basin. It utilizes models based on the knowledge of geological and hydrogeological structure of the surroundings of the borehole. It investigates the relation between the physical properties of porous media and the amplitude and phase of the tidal oscillations and presents solutions of the models.

Master of Science / Department of Geology / Allen W. Archer / Turnagain Arm is the hypertidal (commonly exceeding 9 m) west-east trending extension of Cook Inlet in south-central Alaska. The inlet formed from a drowned glacial valley that was subsequently filled with tidal deposits of silt and fine sand. The tidal system is semidiurnal with a prominent diurnal inequality. There are also variations due to spring and neap tides. Turnagain Arm is home to a tidal bore generated during spring tides that can reach heights of up to 2 m and travel at speeds of up to 5 m/s. Current reversals can be dramatic with ebb tidal velocities of 6 m/s changing to flood velocities of 10 m/s over a period of a few minutes. During the initial flood tide, highly turbid water can rise as fast as 10 cm/min. This combination of elements results in a highly dynamic depositional setting. Measurements taken in the inner estuary during several neap-spring cycles in the summers of 2007-08 documented deposition upon mud bars of as much as 8.9 cm per tidal event. Conversely, erosion of up to 13.5 cm per tidal event has been measured. The highest rates of deposition and erosion occurred during the spring tides while much lower rates occur during the neap tides. Some portions of the inner estuary are only submerged during the extreme high tides. The magnitude of the high tide needed to cover each site increases with increasing distance into the upper estuary. Even if submerged, deposition does not always occur. Such a high percentage of non-depositional events has real implications when interpreting tidal cyclicity of the rhythmites found at these sites.

Hurricanes can temporarily disrupt seasonal patterns of fish assemblage change or result in permanent changes in fish assemblages. I studied the effects of two hurricanes on fish assemblages at the Chandeleur Islands and the possible influence that storm-generated tidal channels may have on the composition of local fish assemblages. I also compared recently collected data to historic ichthyofaunal survey data collected over thirty years ago at the Chandeleur Islands. Near shore fish assemblages changed the most after hurricanes but changes in species composition were primarily due to increases in abundance and diversity. During July 2007 there was no significant difference between fish assemblages in channel and seagrass habitats, although significant differences among wash-over channels existed. Loss of habitat and the increased intensity and frequency of recent storms may explain why current fish assemblages at the Chandeleur Islands are less diverse (as measured by taxonomic distinctness) than assemblages collected during 1969-1971.