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Cheniers and Regressive Bedforms

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Encyclopedia of Estuaries

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Synonyms

Chenier plain; Sandy beach ridge

Definition

Chenier is a term devoted exclusively to linear sandy coastal ridges separated from the shoreline by muddy deposits (mudflats or marshes). The base of the cheniers should be a horizontal surface where a clear difference exists between the mud and the coarse-grained deposits. The seaward sides of the cheniers are regular and straight, while the landward side is irregular (Reineck and Singh, 1980). Cheniers do not occur alone, but in groups, with narrow spacing between individual ridges at their ends. Moreover, this arrangement can cause streams and small rivers to be deflected, creating angular or parallel drainage patterns, a feature that was noted in the Suriname chenier plain by Augustinus (1980).

Introduction

Cheniers are deposits originating from high-energy reworking of muddy coastal plains. Beach-ridge and chenier plains can be confused when it is difficult to discern if the plains are dominated by sand and mud. Cheniers were...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IGCC-IIMYC, UNMDP-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    Federico Ignacio Isla

  2. IGCC-IIMYC, CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    Jose Manuel Bedmar

Authors
  1. Federico Ignacio Isla
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  2. Jose Manuel Bedmar
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Correspondence to Federico Ignacio Isla .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    Michael J. Kennish

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Isla, F.I., Bedmar, J.M. (2016). Cheniers and Regressive Bedforms. In: Kennish, M.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Estuaries. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_404

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