Sediment transport and bathymetric change at Honrafjörður tidal inlet / Sedimenttransport och batymetrisk förändring vid Hornafjörðurs tidvatteninlopp

The relatively calm area behind barrier island are favored locations for harbors even though the navigation through the inlet itself can be challenging. Different measures like dredging or coastal structures might be necessary to ensure the desired water depth to maintain a safe navigation. Iceland as an island country depends strongly on reliable navigational routes connecting harbors to the ocean to ensure its economic wealth. The port of Höfn at the Hornafjörður inlet in southeastern Iceland is the main navigational link for the commercial fishing in this area.The interactions between longshore sediment transport and sediment transport induces by the inlet flow and waves are complex and led to navigational limitations in history. A deeper understanding of local transport patterns is needed to ensure a reliable navigation at the Hornafjörður inlet and limit economic losses in future. Regarding the complexity of the situation around the inlet and the limited data on local hydrodynamics, mathematical modeling must be used to simulate local currents. This article focuses on the research performed and model results gained in connection with the master thesis project “Sediment transport and bathymetric change at Hornafjörður tidal inlet – Field data analysis and mathematical modeling” (Klante, 2018).