Nowadays, the discharge of sediments from dredging works into the sea is one of the most critical problems affecting coastal management. Therefore, the characterization, assessment and handling of the materials to be dredged is of utmost importance. Since its creation, the Port of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, has presented a structural difficulty that affects its operation: the interruption of the strong littoral drift by its breakwaters generates an important sand sedimentation, blocking the access channel. This hampers the entry and maneuverability of large ships, while promoting sediment imbalances on a regional scale, causing coastal erosion on many beaches. At present, the administrative authorities of the port are proposing a new dredging work in order to restore adequate navigation depths. On this basis, the aim of this work was to assess the current sediment characteristics of the Port of Mar del Plata and compare it with previous results from 1996. Grain size, water content and organic matter were monitored at 12 stations. The results indicate that the external sector receives a larger share of sand than in 1996; silts and clays are preferentially deposited at the inner docks; organic matter, with increases compared to the previous study, accumulates in the inner docks with lower water renewal and higher contributions of waste-water. Based on these results, this work proposes beach nourishment as a management alternative for dredged sediments. Several urban beaches of Mar del Plata subject to regional-scale erosive processes could be the target sites. It is expected that this study will be used as a baseline for the improvement of the environmental quality of the port system as well as for pre- and post-dredging studies within the framework of an integrated coastal zone management.
Nowadays, the discharge of dredged sediments into the sea is one of the most important problems in the management of coastal areas; therefore, the characterization and handling of the materials to be dredged is of utmost importance. Since its creation, the Port of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, has presented a structural difficulty that affects its operation: the interruption of the strong littoral drift by its breakwaters generates an important sand sedimentation blocking the access channel. This hampers the entry and maneuverability of large ships, while promoting sediment imbalances on a regional scale, causing coastal erosion on many beaches. At present, the administrative authorities of the port are proposing a new dredging work in order to restore adequate navigation depths. On this basis, the aim of this work was to characterize the current sediment of the Port of Mar del Plata and compare it with previous results from 1996. Grain size, water content and organic matter were monitored at 12 stations. The results indicate that the external sector receives a larger share of sand than in 1996. Muds become preferentially deposited at the inner docks. Organic matter, with increases compared to the previous study, accumulates in the inner docks with lower water renewal. Based on these results, this work proposes certain management alternatives for dredged sediments. Among them, beach nourishment stands out, with the aim of mitigating the effects caused by the port on the regional sediment dynamics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
334 Leonard St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.