Cheniers and regressive bedforms

Abstract

Definition 10 Chenier is a term devoted exclusively to linear sandy 11 coastal ridges separated from the shoreline by muddy 12 deposits (mudflats or marshes). The base of the cheniers 13 should be a horizontal surface where a clear difference 14 exists between the mud and the coarse-grained deposits. 15 The seaward sides of the cheniers are regular and straight, 16 while the landward side is irregular (Reineck and Singh, 17 1980). Cheniers do not occur alone, but in groups, with 18 narrow spacing between individual ridges at their ends. 19 Moreover, this arrangement can cause streams and small 20 rivers to be deflected, creating angular or parallel drainage 21 patterns, a feature that was noted in the Suriname chenier 22 plain by Augustinus (1980).