Short-term to Decadal-scale Sand Flat Morphodynamics and Sediment Balance of a Megatidal Bay: Insight from Multiple LiDAR Datasets

A 15-year LiDAR survey (2002–2017) of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, a UNESCO-listed megatidal embayment, reveals rapid morphodynamic shifts and sediment variability driven by tides, wind, and river discharges. The study highlights short-term channel reconfigurations in the bay's inner sector, including a recent southward shift of its main channel, while also noting that ongoing engineering works—aimed at restoring the bay's maritime character around Mont-Saint-Michel—have not yet significantly altered sedimentation patterns beyond a localized zone. However, continued monitoring is essential to assess potential long-term impacts on decadal-scale sediment dynamics, particularly those influenced by the 18.6-year tidal nodal cycle.

Levoy, F., Anthony, E. J., Dronkers, J., Monfort, O., & Montreuil, A.-L. (2019). Short-term to Decadal-scale Sand Flat Morphodynamics and Sediment Balance of a Megatidal Bay: Insight from Multiple LiDAR Datasets. Journal of Coastal Research, 88(sp1), 61. https://doi.org/10.2112/si88-006.1