A 3-point dynamic model for the morphological evolution of a backbarrier basin composed by marshes and mudflats. The model simplifies the geometry of a backbarrier tidal basin with 3 variables: marsh depth, mudflat depth, mudflat width. These 3 variables are evolved by sediment redistribution driven by wave processes. Sediment are exchanged with the open ocean, which is an external reservoir. Organic sediments are produced on the marsh platform.
Key reference: Mariotti, G. and J. Carr, Dual role of salt marsh retreat: Long-term loss and short-term resilience, 2014. Water Resources Research 50, 2963-2974. doi:10.1002/2013WR014676.
Key datasets:
The model is available in the CSDMS model repository: http://csdms.colorado.edu/wiki/Model:Wetland3P
| Inputs | Marsh vegetation and mudflat sediment characteristics, backbarrier basin width, reference wind speed, tidal range, reference sediment concentration |
| Outputs | Marsh depth, mudflat depth, mudflat width |
| Time scale | Decades to millennia |
| Language | Matlab |
Example of model output (from Mariotti and Carr 2014)
