Characterising the distribution and morphology of creeks and pans on salt marshes in England and Wales using Google Earth

By using Google Earth images and simple morphometric analyses, pan and creek characteristics of salt marshes across England and Wales have been mapped and related to key environmental variables, including tidal range, sea level change, coastal configuration, sediment type and erosion state. Pan density was found to be higher on the west coast or where there is a moderate tidal range and low sea level change. Pan density is also higher on back barrier and drowned valley marshes and when creek density is low. Maximum pan size is partly controlled by pan density. Creek density and sinuosity showed great variability between areas with marshes in the south having a higher creek density. Creek density is related to tidal prism and marshes undergoing high rates of sea level change usually have higher creek densities. Marshes with an upstream configuration (embayment, drowned valley and back barrier) have lower creek densities due to a lower tidal prism. Sediment type also plays a role with lower creek densities found on coarser sediment types. Creek sinuosity seems to be largely controlled by tidal range with higher sinuosities on meso- or macro-tidal marshes. This large-scale, Google Earth-based, analysis of the distribution and likely environmental controls on salt marsh morphometry illustrates the utility of Digital Globes as sources of freely-available, high resolution imagery for geomorphological research.