This page will introduce you to the concept of sediment budgets, the parameters we employ, and the significance of the project. A link at the bottom of this page will lead you to details on the study area , and successive links will take you through general aspects of carbonate sediment production and storage in this coastal region. Parameters of a sediment budget Sediment budgets are quantitative estimates of particulate sources, sinks, and losses within a geographically well-defined natural system. Storage Submarine and subaerial sediment storage reservoirs must be identified, probed, and cored to estimated their volume capacities. The porosity of carbonate sediment deposits must be considered when using raw storage estimates to determine the volume of sand contained within the reservoir.
Loss occurs primarily through transport out of the system and attrition.
The figure below illustrates these parameters of a quantitative sediment budget. The length of time over which the model of sedimentary processes operates depends on the age and history of the reef structure and on the residence time of sedimentary particles. The embayed shoreline lies between volcanic features that define the geographic limits of the system. The community structure of sediment-producing organisms must be defined and their extent and variability mapped. This is accomplished using multispectral imagery and extensive field observations, including quantitative transect-mapping.