The sediment budget

• What happens WITHIN a sediment cell?


  • Sediment can be added - the sediment will be deposited in sediment stores or sinks
  • Sediment can be removed eg by coastal erosion
  • THIS CAN LEAD TO 3 SCENARIOS
• what is one of the 3 scenarios that this can lead to?


  • more sediment is added than removed
  • A net ACCRETION of sediment
  • Thus we have a positive budget or surplus of sediment
  • the shoreline will therefore increase/expand - beach gets bigger
• what is 1 of the 3 scenarios this can lead to?


  • More sediment removed than added to/accreted
  • thus we have a NEGATIVE BUDGET/ DEFICIT of sediment
  • Shoreline gets smaller
• what is 1 of the 3 scenarios that this can lead to?

  The rate of sediment removal is equal to the rate of sediment accretion leading to a steady state (dynamic equilibrium)
• what will form the boundary between one sediment cell and another?


  a headland
• are sediment cells open or closed systems?

  closed systems
• what is the purpose of a sub-cell?


  helps us to see the detail of sediment movement