The size of impact of the defined parameters in the flowchart was then evaluated in a cross-impact matrix. Where the parameters influence on each other was evaluated based on a scale ranging from 0-6 (0,2,4,6 where 0= no impact, 6= high impact).
Discussion & Conclusion
The flowchart and cause-effect diagram created in the system analysis are showing that the highly influential parameters both have many connections in the flowchart and high values in the cross-impact matrix. This correlation is expected as they are supposed to illustrated the same process; marine accumulation. ‘Water stratification’ which has a high effect value in the cross-impact matrix also has more connections effecting the process than it itself acts on according to the flowchart, this demonstrates that the flowchart and cross-impact matrix are showing the same relationship. The opposite is true for ‘water depth’ and ‘distance from shore’ which were considered to have a large impact on other parameters in the cross-impact matrix. In the flowchart ‘water depth’ and ‘distance from shore’ have more arrows in the opposite direction and is therefore mainly influencing other parameters rather than getting influenced.
The impact result from the cross-impact matrix was then used to create a cause-effect diagram to establish which factors are the most influencing. According to the diagram water depth and distance from shore are the parameters with the largest cause factor. Whereas the water stratification is the factor most effected. The physical and chemical parameters temperature, salinity, dissolved metals, pH and wave intensity are plotted in the middle of the diagram in between cause and effect and can be therefore be considered as working in both ways.
To understand the processes responsible for marine accumulation a flowchart was created to find the parameters involved in the sedimentation process. Therefore, the sediment itself not included in the chart. The most influencing parameters was defined as tide, wave intensity, water depth, distance from shore, water stratification, temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, dissolved metals and organic content. The flowchart shows the relationship between the parameters and it appears as water stratification is the parameter effected by the largest number of parameters. The effecting parameters are salinity, temperature, oxygen (dissolved), wave intensity and pH, these parameters are of course also affected by the water statification however, the effect is larger the other way around.
Marine Accumulation
