Abstract
Though there is widespread agreement thatSpartina alterniflora marshes absorb some wave energy, there is considerable question regarding the magnitude and importance of this process. It has been suggested that marshes are much like an array of vertical cylinders in a water column. Based upon empirical estimates of the fluid drag forces occurring on vertical cylinders and laboratory observations of various arrays of cylinders, a model was developed to describe wave decay in marshes. In 1981, a series of field experiments were conducted to test and calibrate this empirical model in a series of naturalS. alterniflora marshes. The model with some modification was found to be very useful for describing wave decay in coastal marshes.
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Knutson, P.L., Brochu, R.A., Seelig, W.N. et al. Wave damping inSpartina alterniflora marshes. Wetlands 2, 87–104 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160548
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160548