Effects of sand extraction

To meet the demands for building and construction and sand and beach nourishments, sand is extracted from the North Sea. The effects of this sand extraction on ecology and sediment transport are studied in research programmes from Rijkswaterstaat.

Models

To predict the behavior of sediments on the seafloor Rijkswaterstaat uses advanced models. For an accurate prediction it is essential to have accurate information about grain size and bed roughness. To collect these parameters Medusa has been asked to map the spatial distribution of grain size and heavy mineral fraction. The results show large variations in bed roughness along the coastal profile. These variations are only partially caused by variations in grain size. On a few locations the variations are caused by shells or tracks originating from the fishing industry