The Danish Limfjord experiences increased
storm surge levels due to an increasing cross
section in Thyborøn Channel which connects
the Limfjord to the North Sea. Several suggestions
to a solution to the problem have
been made, among them building a dam with
a sluice to be closed during storms. This
project assesses the sediment related consequences
of implementing the proposed solutions.
The assessment is made through
simulations of sediment transport in the area
caused by both severe and relatively mild
storms chosen through analyses on meteorological
and oceanographic data. The simulations
are made in the software suit MIKE
21 which couples simulations of wave, flow,
and sediment transport fields to model realistic
processes accurately and efficiently. It
is found that the construction of a dam and
extension of a groyne would significantly improve
sediment conditions in the area compared
to only extending the groyne. Adding
the dam, while expensive, is further found
to improve manoeuvrability of ships in the
entrance to Thyborøn Harbour and has been
proved in other work to improve oxygen levels
in the Limfjord.