{"id":{"repo_id":"south-carolina","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarcommons.sc.edu:etd-1008"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/south-carolina/oai:scholarcommons.sc.edu:etd-1008","repository":{"repo_id":"south-carolina","name":"University of South Carolina","base_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The 3D Structure of A Salt Marsh Island","abstract":"<p>Studies have shown marsh topography exerts considerable control on the timing and duration of platform inundation. However, topographic structure of the intertidal salt marsh remains poorly quantified. In this study, I used a survey grade Digital Elevation Model to accurately quantify the spatial variability of topographic structures including the 1D, 2D, and 3D geometry of 23 tidal creeks across a 0.5km<sup>2</sup> island within the intertidal zone of North Inlet South Carolina, USA. A Histogram of elevations shows 92% of the island is above sea level and only completely inundated by water levels greater than Mean High High Water (0.66m NAVD88). Topography across the study site varies within a 2.1m range and has a distribution of 29% levee, 63% vegetated platform, 6% creek, and 2% surface depression. Intertidal creek properties are highly variable as well, but significant relationships exist between, for example creek mouth depth : total creek length, and creek mouth area : creek area (p<0.001). However, observed values between the relationships of channel width : distance upstream, sinuosity : relative age, and creek mouth depth : tidal datum, differ from values predicted by salt marsh morphology models. Differences in creek mouth depth, channel slope, and hypsometry are attributed to newly formed creeks, which appear to be extensions of preexisting tidal flat creeks. The creek data presented in this study is the most accurate and expansive to date. Furthermore, the high resolution DEM shows an accurate distribution of topographic structures across an intertidal marsh that was previously unattainable. Results gleaned from this study are significant enough to bring into question the validity of conclusions drawn from previous studies within North Inlet that investigated sediment accretion, transport and redistribution, as well as the distribution of organic matter to include vegetation density.</p>","abstract_html":"<p>Studies have shown marsh topography exerts considerable control on the timing and duration of platform inundation. However, topographic structure of the intertidal salt marsh remains poorly quantified. In this study, I used a survey grade Digital Elevation Model to accurately quantify the spatial variability of topographic structures including the 1D, 2D, and 3D geometry of 23 tidal creeks across a 0.5km<sup>2</sup> island within the intertidal zone of North Inlet South Carolina, USA. A Histogram of elevations shows 92% of the island is above sea level and only completely inundated by water levels greater than Mean High High Water (0.66m NAVD88). Topography across the study site varies within a 2.1m range and has a distribution of 29% levee, 63% vegetated platform, 6% creek, and 2% surface depression. Intertidal creek properties are highly variable as well, but significant relationships exist between, for example creek mouth depth : total creek length, and creek mouth area : creek area (p<0.001). However, observed values between the relationships of channel width : distance upstream, sinuosity : relative age, and creek mouth depth : tidal datum, differ from values predicted by salt marsh morphology models. Differences in creek mouth depth, channel slope, and hypsometry are attributed to newly formed creeks, which appear to be extensions of preexisting tidal flat creeks. The creek data presented in this study is the most accurate and expansive to date. Furthermore, the high resolution DEM shows an accurate distribution of topographic structures across an intertidal marsh that was previously unattainable. Results gleaned from this study are significant enough to bring into question the validity of conclusions drawn from previous studies within North Inlet that investigated sediment accretion, transport and redistribution, as well as the distribution of organic matter to include vegetation density.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bell, Joseph M"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Earth and Ocean Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Raymond Torres"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:36:43Z","subjects":["Earth Sciences","Geology","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","salt marsh DEM","salt marsh morphology","salt marsh topography","tidal creek geometry","tidal creek hypsometry","tidal creek mouth geometry"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2009, Joseph M Bell"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Raymond Torres"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bell, Joseph M"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2010-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Earth and Ocean Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Earth Sciences","Geology","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","salt marsh DEM","salt marsh morphology","salt marsh topography","tidal creek geometry","tidal creek hypsometry","tidal creek mouth geometry"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2009, Joseph M Bell"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["<p>Studies have shown marsh topography exerts considerable control on the timing and duration of platform inundation. However, topographic structure of the intertidal salt marsh remains poorly quantified. In this study, I used a survey grade Digital Elevation Model to accurately quantify the spatial variability of topographic structures including the 1D, 2D, and 3D geometry of 23 tidal creeks across a 0.5km<sup>2</sup> island within the intertidal zone of North Inlet South Carolina, USA. A Histogram of elevations shows 92% of the island is above sea level and only completely inundated by water levels greater than Mean High High Water (0.66m NAVD88). Topography across the study site varies within a 2.1m range and has a distribution of 29% levee, 63% vegetated platform, 6% creek, and 2% surface depression. Intertidal creek properties are highly variable as well, but significant relationships exist between, for example creek mouth depth : total creek length, and creek mouth area : creek area (p<0.001). However, observed values between the relationships of channel width : distance upstream, sinuosity : relative age, and creek mouth depth : tidal datum, differ from values predicted by salt marsh morphology models. Differences in creek mouth depth, channel slope, and hypsometry are attributed to newly formed creeks, which appear to be extensions of preexisting tidal flat creeks. The creek data presented in this study is the most accurate and expansive to date. Furthermore, the high resolution DEM shows an accurate distribution of topographic structures across an intertidal marsh that was previously unattainable. Results gleaned from this study are significant enough to bring into question the validity of conclusions drawn from previous studies within North Inlet that investigated sediment accretion, transport and redistribution, as well as the distribution of organic matter to include vegetation density.</p>"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The 3D Structure of A Salt Marsh Island"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Raymond Torres"],"dc:creator":["Bell, Joseph M"],"dc:date.available":["2010-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["<p>Studies have shown marsh topography exerts considerable control on the timing and duration of platform inundation. However, topographic structure of the intertidal salt marsh remains poorly quantified. In this study, I used a survey grade Digital Elevation Model to accurately quantify the spatial variability of topographic structures including the 1D, 2D, and 3D geometry of 23 tidal creeks across a 0.5km<sup>2</sup> island within the intertidal zone of North Inlet South Carolina, USA. A Histogram of elevations shows 92% of the island is above sea level and only completely inundated by water levels greater than Mean High High Water (0.66m NAVD88). Topography across the study site varies within a 2.1m range and has a distribution of 29% levee, 63% vegetated platform, 6% creek, and 2% surface depression. Intertidal creek properties are highly variable as well, but significant relationships exist between, for example creek mouth depth : total creek length, and creek mouth area : creek area (p<0.001). However, observed values between the relationships of channel width : distance upstream, sinuosity : relative age, and creek mouth depth : tidal datum, differ from values predicted by salt marsh morphology models. Differences in creek mouth depth, channel slope, and hypsometry are attributed to newly formed creeks, which appear to be extensions of preexisting tidal flat creeks. The creek data presented in this study is the most accurate and expansive to date. Furthermore, the high resolution DEM shows an accurate distribution of topographic structures across an intertidal marsh that was previously unattainable. Results gleaned from this study are significant enough to bring into question the validity of conclusions drawn from previous studies within North Inlet that investigated sediment accretion, transport and redistribution, as well as the distribution of organic matter to include vegetation density.</p>"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7"],"dc:rights":["© 2009, Joseph M Bell"],"dc:subject":["Earth Sciences","Geology","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","salt marsh DEM","salt marsh morphology","salt marsh topography","tidal creek geometry","tidal creek hypsometry","tidal creek mouth geometry"],"dc:title":["The 3D Structure of A Salt Marsh Island"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Earth and Ocean Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:36:43Z"}