ABSTRACT
Practical applications of hydraulics require numerical and graphical results, and if analytical expressions that describe phenomena of interest cannot be derived from a mathematical model, it becomes necessary to obtain the results by physical modelling or by purely numerical methods. The Exe estuarine system is dominated by Atlantic swell waves from the south-west, although the shallow water offshore attenuates incoming waves. In addition, wave refraction takes place due to headlands, thereby altering the wave approach angle at the mouth. Marine-sediment input dominates the sediment influx into the Exe estuary system, with both waves and tidal currents moving sediment in suspension and as bedload towards the entrance of the estuary. The hydrodynamics alone are complicated due to the combined influence of tides, waves and river flow, as well as the potential for salinity gradients, temperature gradients and the stratified flow phenomena.
