Articles | Volume 5, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Sep 2017
Research article |
| 25 Sep 2017
Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
Andrew D. Ashton
Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
Albert J. Kettner
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Liviu Giosan
Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
Related authors
Jaap H. Nienhuis, Jana R. Cox, Joey O'Dell, Douglas A. Edmonds, and Paolo Scussolini
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4087–4101, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-4087-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-4087-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Humans build levees to protect themselves against floods. We need to know where they are to correctly predict flooding, for example from sea level rise. Here we have looked through documents to find levees, and checked that they exist using satellite imagery. We developed a global levee map, available at www.opendelve.eu, and we found that 24 % of people in deltas are protected by levees.
for subsidence in coastal Louisiana
Jaap H. Nienhuis, Torbjörn E. Törnqvist, and Gilles Erkens
Proc. IAHS, 382, 333–337, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-333-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-333-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Decreased distance from the marsh to the marsh edge can lower groundwater tables and increase soil stresses that lead to subsidence. We explore the possibility that the canals that have been dug in the wetlands in coastal Louisiana have decreased marsh edge distances and therefore have contributed to subsidence.
Kees Nooren, Kim M. Cohen, Jaap H. Nienhuis, and Wim Z. Hoek
Proc. IAHS, 382, 149–153, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-149-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-149-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal subsidence owing to compaction of Holocene strata affects large delta plains such as the Tabasco delta in southern Mexico (Gulf coast). Collected field-data allows for quantification of differential subsidence over several time windows and reconstruction of relative sea-level rise back to 5000 years ago. Observed differential subsidence of 1–1.5 m is mainly caused by compaction of buried strata in response to the accumulating overburden of the prograding beach-ridge complex.
Jaap H. Nienhuis and Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 4013–4030, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4013-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4013-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The response of barrier islands to sea level rise depends on their ability to move landward through the transport of sediment from the beach to the back barrier. The BRIE model simulates these processes and the resulting landward movement of barrier islands. The novelty of the BRIE model is the incorporation of tidal inlets (gaps between barrier islands) that can transport sediment landward and therefore help keep barrier islands above sea level.
Rebecca L. Caldwell, Douglas A. Edmonds, Sarah Baumgardner, Chris Paola, Samapriya Roy, and Jaap H. Nienhuis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 773–787, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-773-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-773-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
River deltas are valuable resources that support biodiversity and human habitation. Despite this we do not have a global census of deltas nor do we know the conditions that promote their formation. We surveyed 5399 river mouths greater than 50 m wide and found that 2174 (40 %) create a delta. The conditions that lead to delta formation are high sediment input and low wave and tide conditions. These results can be used to understand how deltas will adapt to environmental changes.
Rose V. Palermo, J. Taylor Perron, Jason M. Soderblom, Samuel P. D. Birch, Alexander G. Hayes, and Andrew D. Ashton
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 3433–3445, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-3433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-3433-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Models of rocky coastal erosion help us understand the controls on coastal morphology and evolution. In this paper, we present a simplified model of coastline erosion driven by either uniform erosion where coastline erosion is constant or wave-driven erosion where coastline erosion is a function of the wave power. This model can be used to evaluate how coastline changes reflect climate, sea-level history, material properties, and the relative influence of different erosional processes.
Jaap H. Nienhuis, Jana R. Cox, Joey O'Dell, Douglas A. Edmonds, and Paolo Scussolini
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4087–4101, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-4087-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-4087-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Humans build levees to protect themselves against floods. We need to know where they are to correctly predict flooding, for example from sea level rise. Here we have looked through documents to find levees, and checked that they exist using satellite imagery. We developed a global levee map, available at www.opendelve.eu, and we found that 24 % of people in deltas are protected by levees.
Frédérique M. S. A. Kirkels, Huub M. Zwart, Muhammed O. Usman, Suning Hou, Camilo Ponton, Liviu Giosan, Timothy I. Eglinton, and Francien Peterse
Biogeosciences, 19, 3979–4010, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3979-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3979-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Soil organic carbon (SOC) that is transferred to the ocean by rivers forms a long-term sink of atmospheric CO2 upon burial on the ocean floor. We here test if certain bacterial membrane lipids can be used to trace SOC through the monsoon-fed Godavari River basin in India. We find that these lipids trace the mobilisation and transport of SOC in the wet season but that these lipids are not transferred far into the sea. This suggests that the burial of SOC on the sea floor is limited here.
Rose V. Palermo, Anastasia Piliouras, Travis E. Swanson, Andrew D. Ashton, and David Mohrig
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1111–1123, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1111-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1111-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
At Sargent Beach, Texas, USA, a rapidly eroding soft-sediment cliff system, we study the planform evolution of the cliff face in response to storms and sediment cover. Through this analysis, we characterize the feedbacks between morphology and retreat rate of a cliff face. We find that after a storm event, the roughness and sinuosity of the cliff face increase, which sustains higher retreat rates for years following.
Ann G. Dunlea, Liviu Giosan, and Yongsong Huang
Clim. Past, 16, 2533–2546, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2533-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-2533-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Over the past 20 Myr, there has been a dramatic global increase in plants using C4 photosynthetic pathways. We analyze C and H isotopes in fatty acids of leaf waxes preserved in marine sediment from the Bay of Bengal to examine changes in photosynthesis in the Core Monsoon Zone of the Indian Peninsula over the past 6 Myr. The observed increase in C4 vegetation from 3.5 to 1.5 Ma is synchronous with C4 expansions in northwest Australia and East Africa, suggesting regional hydroclimate controls
for subsidence in coastal Louisiana
Jaap H. Nienhuis, Torbjörn E. Törnqvist, and Gilles Erkens
Proc. IAHS, 382, 333–337, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-333-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-333-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Decreased distance from the marsh to the marsh edge can lower groundwater tables and increase soil stresses that lead to subsidence. We explore the possibility that the canals that have been dug in the wetlands in coastal Louisiana have decreased marsh edge distances and therefore have contributed to subsidence.
Kees Nooren, Kim M. Cohen, Jaap H. Nienhuis, and Wim Z. Hoek
Proc. IAHS, 382, 149–153, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-149-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-149-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal subsidence owing to compaction of Holocene strata affects large delta plains such as the Tabasco delta in southern Mexico (Gulf coast). Collected field-data allows for quantification of differential subsidence over several time windows and reconstruction of relative sea-level rise back to 5000 years ago. Observed differential subsidence of 1–1.5 m is mainly caused by compaction of buried strata in response to the accumulating overburden of the prograding beach-ridge complex.
Jaap H. Nienhuis and Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 4013–4030, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4013-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4013-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The response of barrier islands to sea level rise depends on their ability to move landward through the transport of sediment from the beach to the back barrier. The BRIE model simulates these processes and the resulting landward movement of barrier islands. The novelty of the BRIE model is the incorporation of tidal inlets (gaps between barrier islands) that can transport sediment landward and therefore help keep barrier islands above sea level.
Rebecca L. Caldwell, Douglas A. Edmonds, Sarah Baumgardner, Chris Paola, Samapriya Roy, and Jaap H. Nienhuis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 773–787, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-773-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-773-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
River deltas are valuable resources that support biodiversity and human habitation. Despite this we do not have a global census of deltas nor do we know the conditions that promote their formation. We surveyed 5399 river mouths greater than 50 m wide and found that 2174 (40 %) create a delta. The conditions that lead to delta formation are high sediment input and low wave and tide conditions. These results can be used to understand how deltas will adapt to environmental changes.
Liviu Giosan, William D. Orsi, Marco Coolen, Cornelia Wuchter, Ann G. Dunlea, Kaustubh Thirumalai, Samuel E. Munoz, Peter D. Clift, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Valier Galy, and Dorian Q. Fuller
Clim. Past, 14, 1669–1686, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1669-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1669-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Climate reorganization during the early neoglacial anomaly (ENA) may explain the Harappan civilization metamorphosis from an urban, expansive culture to a rural, geographically-confined one. Landcover change is a candidate for causing this climate instability. During ENA agriculture along the flood-deficient floodplains of the Indus became too risky, which pushed people out. In the same time the Himalayan piedmont received augmented winter rain and steady summer precipitation, pulling people in.
Liviu Giosan, Thet Naing, Myo Min Tun, Peter D. Clift, Florin Filip, Stefan Constantinescu, Nitesh Khonde, Jerzy Blusztajn, Jan-Pieter Buylaert, Thomas Stevens, and Swe Thwin
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 451–466, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-451-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-451-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Here we provide the first results on the evolution of the Ayeyarwady delta, the last unstudied megadelta of Asia. In addition to its intrinsic value as a founding study on the Holocene development of this region, we advance new ideas on the climate control of monsoonal deltas as well as describe for the first time a feedback mechanism between tectonics and tidal hydrodynamics that can explain the peculiarities of the Ayeyarwady delta.
Muhammed Ojoshogu Usman, Frédérique Marie Sophie Anne Kirkels, Huub Michel Zwart, Sayak Basu, Camilo Ponton, Thomas Michael Blattmann, Michael Ploetze, Negar Haghipour, Cameron McIntyre, Francien Peterse, Maarten Lupker, Liviu Giosan, and Timothy Ian Eglinton
Biogeosciences, 15, 3357–3375, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3357-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3357-2018, 2018
Liviu Giosan, Camilo Ponton, Muhammed Usman, Jerzy Blusztajn, Dorian Q. Fuller, Valier Galy, Negar Haghipour, Joel E. Johnson, Cameron McIntyre, Lukas Wacker, and Timothy I. Eglinton
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 781–789, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-781-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-781-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
A reconstruction of erosion in the core monsoon zone of India provides unintuitive but fundamental insights: in contrast to semiarid regions that experience enhanced erosion during erratic rain events, the monsoon is annual and acts as a veritable
erosional pumpaccelerating when the land cover is minimal. The existence of such a monsoon erosional pump promises to reconcile conflicting views on the land–sea sediment and carbon transfer as well as the monsoon evolution on longer timescales.
Christopher W. Thomas, A. Brad Murray, Andrew D. Ashton, Martin D. Hurst, Andrew K. A. P. Barkwith, and Michael A. Ellis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 871–884, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-871-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-871-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Complex sandy coastlines, such as capes and spits, are important socio-economically while underpinning and protecting important natural habitats. Although they may protect inshore areas, they are inherently fragile and susceptible to erosion. We have explored how spits and capes might adapt to changing wave climate through modelling. We find that coastlines may not be in equilibrium with current conditions, and past shapes may strongly influence those adapting to new wave climates.
A. D. Ashton, J. Nienhuis, and K. Ells
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 193–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-193-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-193-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Depositional shoreline spits are found along many of the Earth's modern and paleo-shorelines. Here we use a numerical model of shoreline evolution to develop a comprehensive model of the controls on spit shape, demonstrating that spits are graded shapes that arise from feedbacks between the headland, neck, and hook through the migration of a "fulcrum point". Our results suggest that spit form is controlled not only by the directional wave climate but also by the rate of headland recession.
Related subject area
Physical: Geomorphology (including all aspects of fluvial, coastal, aeolian, hillslope and glacial geomorphology)
Pliocene shorelines and the epeirogenic motion of continental margins: a target dataset for dynamic topography models
Decadal-scale decay of landslide-derived fluvial suspended sediment after Typhoon Morakot
Role of the forcing sources in morphodynamic modelling of an embayed beach
A machine learning approach to the geomorphometric detection of ribbed moraines in Norway
Stream hydrology controls on ice cliff evolution and survival on debris-covered glaciers
Time-varying drainage basin development and erosion on volcanic edifices
Geomorphic risk maps for river migration using probabilistic modeling – a framework
Evolution of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans: insights from geomorphic experiments and morphodynamic models
Riverine sediment response to deforestation in the Amazon basin
Physical modeling of ice-sheet-induced salt movements using the example of northern Germany
Downstream rounding rate of pebbles in the Himalaya
A physics-based model for fluvial valley width
Implications for the resilience of modern coastal systems derived from mesoscale barrier dynamics at Fire Island, New York
Quantifying the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data
Long-term monitoring (1953–2019) of geomorphologically active sections of Little Ice Age lateral moraines in the context of changing meteorological conditions
Coevolving edge rounding and shape of glacial erratics: the case of Shap granite, UK
How water, temperature and seismicity control the preparation of massive rock slope failure (Hochvogel, DE/AT)
Dimensionless argument: a narrow grain size range near 2 mm plays a special role in river sediment transport and morphodynamics
Path length and sediment transport estimation from DEMs of difference: a signal processing approach
The impact of bedrock meander cutoffs on 50 ka-year-scale incision rates, San Juan River, Utah
Influence of cohesive clay on wave–current ripple dynamics captured in a 3D phase diagram
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 1: Erosion dynamics
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 2: Suspended sediment dynamics
Geomorphological and hydrological controls on sediment export in earthquake-affected catchments in the Nepal Himalaya
Optimization of passive acoustic bedload monitoring in rivers by signal inversion
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 2: Probabilistic analysis
Field monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows at Ohya landslide scar, Japan
Analysis of autogenic bifurcation processes resulting in river avulsion
Bedload transport fluctuations, flow conditions, and disequilibrium ratio at the Swiss Erlenbach stream: results from 27 years of high-resolution temporal measurements
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 1: convolutional-neural-network-based semantic segmentation for water detection
Coexistence of two dune scales in a lowland river
Alpine hillslope failure in the western US: insights from the Chaos Canyon landslide, Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
Using repeat UAV-based laser scanning and multispectral imagery to explore eco-geomorphic feedbacks along a river corridor
Numerical modelling of the evolution of a river reach with a complex morphology to help define future sustainable restoration decisions
Method to evaluate large-wood behavior in terms of the convection equation associated with sediment erosion and deposition
Effects of seasonal variations in vegetation and precipitation on catchment erosion rates along a climate and ecological gradient: insights from numerical modeling
On the use of convolutional deep learning to predict shoreline change
On the use of packing models for the prediction of fluvial sediment porosity
Automated riverbed composition analysis using deep learning on underwater images
Marsh-induced backwater: the influence of non-fluvial sedimentation on a delta's channel morphology and kinematics
Spatial and temporal variations in rockwall erosion rates derived from cosmogenic 10Be in medial moraines at five valley glaciers around Pigne d'Arolla, Switzerland
Building a bimodal landscape: bedrock lithology and bed thickness controls on the morphology of Last Chance Canyon, New Mexico, USA
Geotechnical controls on erodibility in fluvial impact erosion
Linear-stability analysis of plane beds under flows with suspended loads
Estimating surface water availability in high mountain rock slopes using a numerical energy balance model
Sediment source and sink identification using Sentinel-2 and a small network of turbidimeters on the Vjosa River
Spatiotemporal bedload transport patterns over two-dimensional bedforms
Ice-buttressing-controlled rock slope failure on a cirque headwall, Lake District, UK
The probabilistic nature of dune collisions in 2D
Shape still matters: rockfall interactions with trees and deadwood in a mountain forest uncover a new facet of rock shape dependency
Andrew Hollyday, Maureen E. Raymo, Jacqueline Austermann, Fred Richards, Mark Hoggard, and Alessio Rovere
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 883–905, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sea level was significantly higher during the Pliocene epoch, around 3 million years ago. The present-day elevations of shorelines that formed in the past provide a data constraint on the extent of ice sheet melt and the global sea level response under warm Pliocene conditions. In this study, we identify 10 escarpments that formed from wave-cut erosion during Pliocene times and compare their elevations with model predictions of solid Earth deformation processes to estimate past sea level.
Gregory A. Ruetenik, Ken L. Ferrier, and Odin Marc
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 863–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial sediment fluxes increased dramatically in Taiwan during Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which produced some of the heaviest landsliding on record. We analyzed fluvial discharge and suspended sediment concentration data at 87 gauging stations across Taiwan to quantify fluvial sediment responses since Morakot. In basins heavily impacted by landsliding, rating curve coefficients sharply increased during Morakot and then declined exponentially with a characteristic decay time of <10 years.
Nil Carrion-Bertran, Albert Falqués, Francesca Ribas, Daniel Calvete, Rinse de Swart, Ruth Durán, Candela Marco-Peretó, Marta Marcos, Angel Amores, Tim Toomey, Àngels Fernández-Mora, and Jorge Guillén
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 819–839, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The sensitivity to the wave and sea-level forcing sources in predicting a 6-month embayed beach evolution is assessed using two different morphodynamic models. After a successful model calibration using in situ data, other sources are applied. The wave source choice is critical: hindcast data provide wrong results due to an angle bias, whilst the correct dynamics are recovered with the wave conditions from an offshore buoy. The use of different sea-level sources gives no significant differences.
Thomas J. Barnes, Thomas V. Schuler, Simon Filhol, and Karianne S. Lilleøren
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 801–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we use machine learning to automatically outline landforms based on their characteristics. We test several methods to identify the most accurate and then proceed to develop the most accurate to improve its accuracy further. We manage to outline landforms with 65 %–75 % accuracy, at a resolution of 10 m, thanks to high-quality/high-resolution elevation data. We find that it is possible to run this method at a country scale to quickly produce landform inventories for future studies.
Eric Petersen, Regine Hock, and Michael G. Loso
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 727–745, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ice cliffs are melt hot spots that increase melt rates on debris-covered glaciers which otherwise see a reduction in melt rates. In this study, we show how surface runoff streams contribute to the generation, evolution, and survival of ice cliffs by carving into the glacier and transporting rocky debris. On Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, 33 % of ice cliffs are actively influenced by streams, while nearly half are within 10 m of streams.
Daniel O'Hara, Liran Goren, Roos M. J. van Wees, Benjamin Campforts, Pablo Grosse, Pierre Lahitte, Gabor Kereszturi, and Matthieu Kervyn
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 709–726, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how volcanic edifices develop drainage basins remains unexplored in landscape evolution. Using digital evolution models of volcanoes with varying ages, we quantify the geometries of their edifices and associated drainage basins through time. We find that these metrics correlate with edifice age and are thus useful indicators of a volcano’s history. We then develop a generalized model for how volcano basins develop and compare our results to basin evolution in other settings.
Brayden Noh, Omar Wani, Kieran B. J. Dunne, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 691–708, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we propose a framework for generating risk maps that provide the probabilities of erosion due to river migration. This framework uses concepts from probability theory to learn the river migration model's parameter values from satellite data while taking into account parameter uncertainty. Our analysis shows that such geomorphic risk estimation is more reliable than models that do not explicitly consider various sources of variability and uncertainty.
Steven Y. J. Lai, David Amblas, Aaron Micallef, and Hervé Capart
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 621–640, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores the creation of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans on active faults, which can be defined by gravity-dominated breaching and underflow-dominated diffusion processes. The study reveals the self-similarity in canyon–fan long profiles, uncovers Hack’s scaling relationship and proposes a formula to estimate fan volume using canyon length. This is validated by global data from source-to-sink systems, providing insights into deep-water sedimentary processes.
Anuska Narayanan, Sagy Cohen, and John R. Gardner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 581–599, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the profound impact of deforestation in the Amazon on sediment dynamics. Novel remote sensing data and statistical analyses reveal significant changes, especially in heavily deforested regions, with rapid effects within a year. In less disturbed areas, a 1- to 2-year lag occurs, influenced by natural sediment shifts and human activities. These findings highlight the need to understand the consequences of human activity for our planet's future.
Jacob Hardt, Tim P. Dooley, and Michael R. Hudec
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 559–579, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the reaction of salt structures on ice sheet transgressions. We used a series of sandbox models that enabled us to experiment with scaled-down versions of salt bodies from northern Germany. The strongest reactions occurred when large salt pillows were partly covered by the ice load. Subsurface salt structures may play an important role in the energy transition, e.g., as energy storage. Thus, it is important to understand all processes that affect their stability.
Prakash Pokhrel, Mikael Attal, Hugh D. Sinclair, Simon M. Mudd, and Mark Naylor
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 515–536, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Pebbles become increasingly rounded during downstream transport in rivers due to abrasion. This study quantifies pebble roundness along the length of two Himalayan rivers. We demonstrate that roundness increases with downstream distance and that the rates are dependent on rock type. We apply this to reconstructing travel distances and hence the size of ancient Himalaya. Results show that the ancient river network was larger than the modern one, indicating that there has been river capture.
Jens Martin Turowski, Aaron Bufe, and Stefanie Tofelde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 493–514, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial valleys are ubiquitous landforms, and understanding their formation and evolution affects a wide range of disciplines from archaeology and geology to fish biology. Here, we develop a model to predict the width of fluvial valleys for a wide range of geographic conditions. In the model, fluvial valley width is controlled by the two competing factors of lateral channel mobility and uplift. The model complies with available data and yields a broad range of quantitative predictions.
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie C. Bernier, and Arnell S. Forde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 449–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstructed the evolution of Fire Island, a barrier island in New York, USA, to identify drivers of landscape change. Results reveal Fire Island was once divided into multiple inlet-separated islands with distinct features. Later, inlets closed, and Fire Island’s landscape became more uniform as human activities intensified. The island is now less mobile and less likely to resist and recover from storm impacts and sea level rise. This vulnerability may exist for other stabilized barriers.
Chao Zhou, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, and Feng Shi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 433–448, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The drainage-divide stability provides new insights into both the river network evolution and the tectonic and/or climatic changes. Several methods have been proposed to determine the direction of drainage-divide migration. However, how to quantify the migration rate of drainage divides remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a new method to calculate the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data.
Moritz Altmann, Madlene Pfeiffer, Florian Haas, Jakob Rom, Fabian Fleischer, Tobias Heckmann, Livia Piermattei, Michael Wimmer, Lukas Braun, Manuel Stark, Sarah Betz-Nutz, and Michael Becht
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 399–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We show a long-term erosion monitoring of several sections on Little Ice Age lateral moraines with derived sediment yield from historical and current digital elevation modelling (DEM)-based differences. The first study period shows a clearly higher range of variability of sediment yield within the sites than the later periods. In most cases, a decreasing trend of geomorphic activity was observed.
Paul A. Carling
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 381–397, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Edge rounding in Shap granite glacial erratics is an irregular function of distance from the source outcrop in northern England, UK. Block shape is conservative, evolving according to block fracture mechanics – stochastic and silver ratio models – towards either of two attractor states. Progressive reduction in size occurs for blocks transported at the sole of the ice mass where the blocks are subject to compressive and tensile forces of the ice acting against a bedrock or till surface.
Johannes Leinauer, Michael Dietze, Sibylle Knapp, Riccardo Scandroglio, Maximilian Jokel, and Michael Krautblatter
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-231, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-231, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Massive rock slope failures are a significant alpine hazard and change the earth´s surface. Therefore, we must understand what controls the preparation of such events. By correlating four years of slope displacements with meteorological and seismic data, we found that water from rain and snowmelt is the most important driver. Our approach is applicable to similar sites and indicates, where future climatic changes, e.g. in rain intensity and frequency, may alter the preparation of slope failure.
Gary Parker, Chenge An, Michael P. Lamb, Marcelo H. Garcia, Elizabeth H. Dingle, and Jeremy G. Venditti
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 367–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River morphology has traditionally been divided by the size 2 mm. We use dimensionless arguments to show that particles in the 1–5 mm range (i) are the finest range not easily suspended by alluvial flood flows, (ii) are transported preferentially over coarser gravel, and (iii), within limits, are also transported preferentially over sand. We show how fluid viscosity mediates the special status of sediment in this range.
Lindsay Marie Capito, Enrico Pandrin, Walter Bertoldi, Nicola Surian, and Simone Bizzi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 321–345, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We propose that the pattern of erosion and deposition from repeat topographic surveys can be a proxy for path length in gravel-bed rivers. With laboratory and field data, we applied tools from signal processing to quantify this periodicity and used these path length estimates to calculate sediment transport using the morphological method. Our results highlight the potential to expand the use of the morphological method using only remotely sensed data as well as its limitations.
Aaron T. Steelquist, Gustav B. Seixas, Mary L. Gillam, Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, and George E. Hilley
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-71, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-71, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The rates at which rivers erode their bed can be used to interpret the geologic history of a region. However, these rates depend significantly on the time window over which you measure. We use multiple dating methods to determine an incision rate on the San Juan River and compare it to regional rates with longer timescales. We demonstrate how specific geologic events, such as cutoffs of bedrock meander bends, are likely to preserve material we can date but also bias the rates we measure.
Xuxu Wu, Jonathan Malarkey, Roberto Fernández, Jaco H. Baas, Ellen Pollard, and Daniel R. Parsons
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 231–247, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The seabed changes from flat to rippled in response to the frictional influence of waves and currents. This experimental study has shown that the speed of this change, the size of ripples that result and even whether ripples appear also depend on the amount of sticky mud present. This new classification on the basis of initial mud content should lead to improvements in models of seabed change in present environments by engineers and the interpretation of past environments by geologists.
Andrea D'Alpaos, Davide Tognin, Laura Tommasini, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 181–199, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sediment erosion induced by wind waves is one of the main drivers of the morphological evolution of shallow tidal environments. However, a reliable description of erosion events for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal systems is still lacking. By statistically characterizing sediment erosion dynamics in the Venice Lagoon over the last 4 centuries, we set up a novel framework for a synthetic, yet reliable, description of erosion events in tidal systems.
Davide Tognin, Andrea D'Alpaos, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 201–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Reliable quantification of sediment transport processes is necessary to understand the fate of shallow tidal environments. Here we present a framework for the description of suspended sediment dynamics to quantify deposition in the long-term modelling of shallow tidal systems. This characterization, together with that of erosion events, allows one to set up synthetic, yet reliable, models for the long-term evolution of tidal landscapes.
Emma L. S. Graf, Hugh D. Sinclair, Mikaël Attal, Boris Gailleton, Basanta Raj Adhikari, and Bishnu Raj Baral
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 135–161, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using satellite images, we show that, unlike other examples of earthquake-affected rivers, the rivers of central Nepal experienced little increase in sedimentation following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Instead, a catastrophic flood occurred in 2021 that buried towns and agricultural land under up to 10 m of sediment. We show that intense storms remobilised glacial sediment from high elevations causing much a greater impact than flushing of earthquake-induced landslides.
Mohamad Nasr, Adele Johannot, Thomas Geay, Sebastien Zanker, Jules Le Guern, and Alain Recking
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 117–134, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrophones are used to monitor sediment transport in the river by listening to the acoustic noise generated by particle impacts on the riverbed. However, this acoustic noise is modified by the river flow and can cause misleading information about sediment transport. This article proposes a model that corrects the measured acoustic signal. Testing the model showed that the corrected signal is better correlated with bedload flux in the river.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 105–115, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a detailed characterization of the frequency, intensity and duration of flooding events at a site along the Texas coast. Our analysis demonstrates the suitability of relatively simple wave run-up models to estimate the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding. Our results validate and expand a probabilistic model of coastal flooding driven by wave run-up that can then be used in coastal risk management in response to sea level rise.
Shunsuke Oya, Fumitoshi Imaizumi, and Shoki Takayama
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 67–86, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows was performed at Ohya landslide scar, central Japan. The pore water pressure in some partly saturated flows greatly exceeded the hydrostatic pressure. The depth gradient of the pore water pressure in the lower part of the flow was generally higher than the upper part of the flow. We conclude that excess pore water pressure is present in many debris flow surges and is an important mechanism in debris flow behavior.
Gabriele Barile, Marco Redolfi, and Marco Tubino
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 87–103, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River bifurcations often show the closure of one branch (avulsion), whose causes are still poorly understood. Our model shows that when one branch stops transporting sediments, the other considerably erodes and captures much more flow, resulting in a self-sustaining process. This phenomenon intensifies when increasing the length of the branches, eventually leading to branch closure. This work may help to understand when avulsions occur and thus to design sustainable river restoration projects.
Dieter Rickenmann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 11–34, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-11-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-11-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Field measurements of the bedload flux with a high temporal resolution in a steep mountain stream were used to analyse the transport fluctuations as a function of the flow conditions. The disequilibrium ratio, a proxy for the solid particle concentration in the flow, was found to influence the sediment transport behaviour, and above-average disequilibrium conditions – associated with a larger sediment availability on the streambed – substantially affect subsequent transport conditions.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal flooding can cause significant damage to coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities and is expected to increase in frequency with the acceleration of sea level rise. In order to respond to it, it is crucial to measure and model their frequency and intensity. Here, we show deep-learning techniques can be successfully used to automatically detect flooding events from complex coastal imagery, opening the way to real-time monitoring and data acquisition for model development.
Judith Y. Zomer, Bart Vermeulen, and Antonius J. F. Hoitink
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1283–1298, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1283-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1283-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Secondary bedforms that are superimposed on large, primary dunes likely play a large role in fluvial systems. This study demonstrates that they can be omnipresent. Especially during peak flows, they grow large and can have steep slopes, likely affecting flood risk and sediment transport dynamics. Primary dune morphology determines whether they continuously or intermittently migrate. During discharge peaks, the secondary bedforms can become the dominant dune scale.
Matthew C. Morriss, Benjamin Lehmann, Benjamin Campforts, George Brencher, Brianna Rick, Leif S. Anderson, Alexander L. Handwerger, Irina Overeem, and Jeffrey Moore
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1251–1274, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we investigate the 28 June 2022 collapse of the Chaos Canyon landslide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. We find that the landslide was moving prior to its collapse and took place at peak spring snowmelt; temperature modeling indicates the potential presence of permafrost. We hypothesize that this landslide could be part of the broader landscape evolution changes to alpine terrain caused by a warming climate, leading to thawing alpine permafrost.
Christopher Tomsett and Julian Leyland
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1223–1249, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1223-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1223-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Vegetation influences how rivers change through time, yet the way in which we analyse vegetation is limited. Current methods collect detailed data at the individual plant level or determine dominant vegetation types across larger areas. Herein, we use UAVs to collect detailed vegetation datasets for a 1 km length of river and link vegetation properties to channel evolution occurring within the study site, providing a new method for investigating the influence of vegetation on river systems.
Rabab Yassine, Ludovic Cassan, Hélène Roux, Olivier Frysou, and François Pérès
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1199–1221, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1199-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1199-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Predicting river morphology evolution is very complicated, especially for mountain rivers with complex morphologies such as the Lac des Gaves reach in France. A 2D hydromorphological model was developed to reproduce the channel's evolution and provide reliable volumetric predictions while revealing the challenge of choosing adapted sediment transport and friction laws. Our model can provide decision-makers with reliable predictions to design suitable restoration measures for this reach.
Daisuke Harada and Shinji Egashira
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1183–1197, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1183-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1183-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper proposes a method for describing large-wood behavior in terms of the convection equation and the storage equation, which are associated with active sediment erosion and deposition. Compared to the existing Lagrangian method, the proposed method can easily simulate the behavior of large wood in the flow field with active sediment transport. The method is applied to the flood disaster in the Akatani River in 2017, and the 2-D flood flow computations are successfully performed.
Hemanti Sharma and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1161–1181, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1161-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1161-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Seasonality in precipitation (P) and vegetation (V) influences catchment erosion (E), although which factor plays the dominant role is unclear. In this study, we performed a sensitivity analysis of E to P–V seasonality through numerical modeling. Our results suggest that P variations strongly influence seasonal variations in E, while the effect of seasonal V variations is secondary but significant. This is more pronounced in moderate and least pronounced in extreme environmental settings.
Eduardo Gomez-de la Peña, Giovanni Coco, Colin Whittaker, and Jennifer Montaño
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1145–1160, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1145-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1145-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Predicting how shorelines change over time is a major challenge in coastal research. We here have turned to deep learning (DL), a data-driven modelling approach, to predict the movement of shorelines using observations from a camera system in New Zealand. The DL models here implemented succeeded in capturing the variability and distribution of the observed shoreline data. Overall, these findings indicate that DL has the potential to enhance the accuracy of current shoreline change predictions.
Christoph Rettinger, Mina Tabesh, Ulrich Rüde, Stefan Vollmer, and Roy M. Frings
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1097–1115, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1097-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1097-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Packing models promise efficient and accurate porosity predictions of fluvial sediment deposits. In this study, three packing models were reviewed, calibrated, and validated. Only two of the models were able to handle the continuous and large grain size distributions typically encountered in rivers. We showed that an extension by a cohesion model is necessary and developed guidelines for successful predictions in different rivers.
Alexander A. Ermilov, Gergely Benkő, and Sándor Baranya
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1061–1095, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1061-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1061-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
A novel, artificial-intelligence-based riverbed sediment analysis methodology is introduced that uses underwater images to identify the characteristic sediment classes. The main novelties of the procedure are as follows: underwater images are used, the method enables continuous mapping of the riverbed along the measurement vessel’s route contrary to conventional techniques, the method is cost-efficient, and the method works without scaling.
Kelly M. Sanks, John B. Shaw, Samuel M. Zapp, José Silvestre, Ripul Dutt, and Kyle M. Straub
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1035–1060, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1035-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1035-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
River deltas encompass many depositional environments (like channels and wetlands) that interact to produce coastal environments that change through time. The processes leading to sedimentation in wetlands are often neglected from physical delta models. We show that wetland sedimentation constrains flow to the channels, changes sedimentation rates, and produces channels more akin to field-scale deltas. These results have implications for the management of these vulnerable coastal landscapes.
Katharina Wetterauer and Dirk Scherler
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1013–1033, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1013-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1013-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In glacial landscapes, debris supply rates vary spatially and temporally. Rockwall erosion rates derived from cosmogenic 10Be concentrations in medial moraine debris at five Swiss glaciers around Pigne d'Arolla indicate an increase in erosion from the end of the Little Ice Age towards deglaciation but temporally more stable rates over the last ∼100 years. Rockwall erosion rates are higher where rockwalls are steep and north-facing, suggesting a potential slope and temperature control.
Sam Anderson, Nicole Gasparini, and Joel Johnson
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 995–1011, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-995-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-995-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We measured rock strength and amount of fracturing in the two different rock types, sandstones and carbonates, in Last Chance Canyon, New Mexico, USA. Where there is more carbonate bedrock, hills and channels steepen in Last Chance Canyon. This is because the carbonate-type bedrock tends to be more thickly bedded, is less fractured, and is stronger. The carbonate bedrock produces larger boulders than the sandstone bedrock, which can protect the more fractured sandstone bedrock from erosion.
Jens M. Turowski, Gunnar Pruß, Anne Voigtländer, Andreas Ludwig, Angela Landgraf, Florian Kober, and Audrey Bonnelye
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 979–994, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-979-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-979-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Rivers can cut into rocks, and their strength modulates the river's erosion rates. Yet, which properties of the rock control its response to erosive action is poorly understood. Here, we describe parallel experiments to measure rock erosion rates under fluvial impact erosion and the rock's geotechnical properties such as fracture strength, elasticity, and density. Erosion rates vary over a factor of a million between different rock types. We use the data to improve current theory.
Koji Ohata, Hajime Naruse, and Norihiro Izumi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 961–977, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-961-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-961-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the influence of sediment transport modes on the formation of bedforms using theoretical analysis. The results of the theoretical analysis were verified with published data of plane beds obtained by fieldwork and laboratory experiments. We found that suspended sand particles can promote the formation of plane beds on a fine-grained bed, which suggests that the presence of suspended particles suppresses the development of dunes under submarine sediment-laden gravity currents.
Matan Ben-Asher, Florence Magnin, Sebastian Westermann, Josué Bock, Emmanuel Malet, Johan Berthet, Ludovic Ravanel, and Philip Deline
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 899–915, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-899-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-899-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Quantitative knowledge of water availability on high mountain rock slopes is very limited. We use a numerical model and field measurements to estimate the water balance at a steep rock wall site. We show that snowmelt is the main source of water at elevations >3600 m and that snowpack hydrology and sublimation are key factors. The new information presented here can be used to improve the understanding of thermal, hydrogeological, and mechanical processes on steep mountain rock slopes.
Jessica Droujko, Srividya Hariharan Sudha, Gabriel Singer, and Peter Molnar
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 881–897, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-881-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-881-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We combined data from satellite images with data measured from a kayak in order to understand the propagation of fine sediment in the Vjosa River. We were able to find some storm-activated and some permanent sources of sediment. We also estimated how much fine sediment is carried into the Adriatic Sea by the Vjosa River: approximately 2.5 Mt per year, which matches previous findings. With our work, we hope to show the potential of open-access satellite images.
Kate C. P. Leary, Leah Tevis, and Mark Schmeeckle
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 835–847, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-835-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-835-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Despite the importance of bedforms (e.g., ripples, dunes) to sediment transport, the details of sediment transport on a sub-bedform scale are poorly understood. This paper investigates sediment transport in the downstream and cross-stream directions over bedforms with straight crests. We find that the patterns of bedload transport are highly variable on the sub-bedform scale, which is important for our understanding of the evolution of bedforms with complex crest geometries.
Paul A. Carling, John D. Jansen, Teng Su, Jane Lund Andersen, and Mads Faurschou Knudsen
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 817–833, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-817-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-817-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Many steep glaciated rock walls collapsed when the Ice Age ended. How ice supports a steep rock wall until the ice decays is poorly understood. A collapsed rock wall was surveyed in the field and numerically modelled. Cosmogenic exposure dates show it collapsed and became ice-free ca. 18 ka ago. The model showed that the rock wall failed very slowly because ice was buttressing the slope. Dating other collapsed rock walls can improve understanding of how and when the last Ice Age ended.
Paul A. Jarvis, Clement Narteau, Olivier Rozier, and Nathalie M. Vriend
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 803–815, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-803-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-803-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Sand dune migration velocity is inversely proportional to dune size. Consequently, smaller, faster dunes can collide with larger, slower downstream dunes. Such collisions can result in either coalescence or ejection, whereby the dunes exchange mass but remain separate. Our numerical simulations show that the outcome depends probabilistically on the dune size ratio, which we describe through an empirical function. Our numerical predictions compare favourably against experimental observations.
Adrian Ringenbach, Peter Bebi, Perry Bartelt, Andreas Rigling, Marc Christen, Yves Bühler, Andreas Stoffel, and Andrin Caviezel
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 779–801, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-779-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-779-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Swiss researchers carried out repeated rockfall experiments with rocks up to human sizes in a steep mountain forest. This study focuses mainly on the effects of the rock shape and lying deadwood. In forested areas, cubic-shaped rocks showed a longer mean runout distance than platy-shaped rocks. Deadwood especially reduced the runouts of these cubic rocks. The findings enrich standard practices in modern rockfall hazard zoning assessments and strongly urge the incorporation of rock shape effects.
Cited articles
Anthony, E. J., Marriner, N., and Morhange, C.: Human influence and the changing geomorphology of Mediterranean deltas and coasts over the last 6000 years: From progradation to destruction phase?, Earth-Sci. Rev., 139, 336–361, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.10.003, 2014.
Ashton, A. D. and Giosan, L.: Wave-angle control of delta evolution, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L13405, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL047630, 2011.
Ashton, A. D. and Murray, A. B.: High-angle wave instability and emergent shoreline shapes: 1. Modeling of sand waves, flying spits, and capes, J. Geophys. Res., 111, F04011, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JF000422, 2006.
Ashton, A. D., Nienhuis, J., and Ells, K.: On a neck, on a spit: controls on the shape of free spits, Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 193–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-193-2016, 2016.
Babault, J., Loget, N., Van Den Driessche, J., Castelltort, S., Bonnet, S., and Davy, P.: Did the Ebro basin connect to the Mediterranean before the Messinian salinity crisis?, Geomorphology, 81, 155–165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.04.004, 2006.
Bagnold, R. A.: An approach to the sediment problem of general physics, USGS Prof. Pap., 422–1, 1966.
Bakker, W. T. J. N. P. and Edelman, T.: The Coastline of River-deltas, in Proc. of the 9th Conf. on Coastal Engineering, edited by: Edge, B., 199–218, ASCE, Lisbon, 1964.
Batalla, R. J., Gómez, C. M., and Kondolf, G. M.: Reservoir-induced hydrological changes in the Ebro River basin (NE Spain), J. Hydrol., 290, 117–136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2003.12.002, 2004.
Benito, G., Thorndycraft, V. R., Rico, M., Sánchez-Moya, Y., and Sopeña, A.: Palaeoflood and floodplain records from Spain: Evidence for long-term climate variability and environmental changes, Geomorphology, 101, 68–77, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.05.020, 2008.
Bhattacharya, J. P. and Giosan, L.: Wave-influenced deltas: geomorphological implications for facies reconstuction, Sedimentology, 50, 187–210, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3091.2003.00545.x, 2003.
Bolanos, R., Jorda, G., Cateura, J., Lopez, J., Puigdefabregas, J., Gomez, J., Espino, M., and Bolaños, R.: The XIOM: 20 years of a regional coastal observatory in the Spanish Catalan coast, J. Marine Syst., 77, 237–260, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2007.12.018, 2009.
Canicio, A. and Ibáñez, C.: The Holocene Evolution of the Ebro Delta Catalonia, Spain, Acta Geogr. Sin., 54, 462–469, 1999.
Carling, P. A. and Cao, Z.: Mathematical modelling of alluvial rivers: reality and myth. Part 1: General review, Proc. ICE – Water Marit. Eng., 154, 297–307, https://doi.org/10.1680/wame.2002.154.4.297, 2002.
Cearreta, A., Benito, X., Ibáñez, C., Trobajo, R., and Giosan, L.: Holocene palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean Sea): Evidence for an early construction based on the benthic foraminiferal record, Holocene, 26, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683616640048, 2016.
Chatanantavet, P., Lamb, M. P. P., and Nittrouer, J. A. A.: Backwater controls of avulsion location on deltas, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, 1–6, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL050197, 2012.
Chawla, A., Spindler, D. M., and Tolman, H. L.: Validation of a thirty year wave hindcast using the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis winds, Ocean Model., 70, 189–206, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2012.07.005, 2013.
Constante, A. and Peña-Monné, J. L.: Human-induced erosion and sedimentation during the Holocene in the central Ebro depression, in International Conference on Desertification, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain, 207–210, 2009.
Constante, A., Peña-Monné, J. L., and Muñoz, A.: Alluvial geoarchaeology of an ephemeral stream: Implications for Holocene landscape change in the central part of the Ebro Depression, northeast Spain, Geoarchaeology, 25, 475–496, https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.20314, 2010.
Constante-Orrios, A., Dossche, R., Peña-Monné, J. L., Sancho-Marcen, C., and De Dapper, M.: Holocene evolution and geoarcheaology in the Ebro valley around Zaragoza (Northern Spain), in Ol' Man River: geo-archaeological aspects of rivers and river plains, edited by: de Dapper, M., Vermeulen, F., Deprez, S., and Taelman, D., Academia Press, Ghent, Belgium, 241–256, 2009.
de Vries, M.: Considerations about non-steady bed-load-transport in open channels, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Delft, the Netherlands, 1965.
Gaillard, P., Ravazzola, P., Kontolios, C., Arrivet, C., Athanassoulis, G. A., Stefanakos, C. N. N., Gerostathis, T. P., Cavaleri, L., Bertotti, L., Sclavo, M., Arrivet, L., Gerostathis, P., Ramieri, E., Dentone, L., Noel, C., Viala, C., and Lefevre, J. M.: Wind and Wave Atlas of the Mediterranean Sea, Western European Armaments Organisation Research Cell, Athens, Greece, available from: http://users.ntua.gr/mathan/pdf/Pages_from% 20_WIND_WAVE_ATLAS_MEDITERRANEAN_SEA_2004.pdf (last access: 15 September 2017), 2004.
Garcia-Castellanos, D., Vergés, J., Gaspar-Escribano, J., and Cloetingh, S.: Interplay between tectonics, climate, and fluvial transport during the Cenozoic evolution of the Ebro Basin (NE Iberia), J. Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 108, 2347, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JB002073, 2003.
Giosan, L., Coolen, M. J. L., Kaplan, J. O., Constantinescu, S., Filip, F., Filipova-Marinova, M., Kettner, A. J., and Thom, N.: Early Anthropogenic Transformation of the Danube-Black Sea System, Sci. Rep., 2, 582, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep00582, 2012.
Giosan, L., Syvitski, J., Constantinescu, S., and Day, J.: Climate change: Protect the world's deltas, Nature, 516, 31–33, https://doi.org/10.1038/516031a, 2014.
González-Sampériz, P. and Sopena Vicién, M. C.: Recent Holocene palaeoenvironmental evolution in the central Ebro Basin (NE Spain), Quatern. Int., 93–94, 177–190, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1040-6182(02)00016-2, 2002.
Goy, J. L., Zazo, C., and Dabrio, C. J.: A beach-ridge progradation complex reflecting periodical sea-level and climate variability during the Holocene (Gulf of Almería, Western Mediterranean), Geomorphology, 50, 251–268, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(02)00217-9, 2003.
Grijm, W.: Theoretical forms of shorelines, in 7th Conference on Coastal Engineering, vol. 2, edited by: Edge, B., 197–202, ASCE, Lisbon, 1960.
Guillén, J. and Palanques, A.: A historical perspective of the morphological evolution in the lower Ebro river, Environ. Geol., 30, 174–180, 1997a.
Guillén, J. and Palanques, A.: A shoreface zonation in the Ebro Delta based on grain size distribution, J. Coast. Res., 13, 867–878, 1997b.
Guillén, J. and Jiménez, J.: Processes behind the Longshore Variation of the Sediment Grain Size in the Ebro Delta Coast, J. Coast. Res., 11, 205–218, 1995.
Guillén, J. and Palanques, A.: Sediment dynamics and hydrodynamics in the lower course of a river highly regulated by dams: the Ebro River, Sedimentology, 39, 567–579, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1992.tb02137.x, 1992.
Gutiérrez-Elorza, M. and Peña-Monné, J. L.: Geomorphology and late Holocene climatic change in Northeastern Spain, Geomorphology, 23, 205–217, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(98)00004-X, 1998.
Hands, E. B.: Erosion of the Great Lakes due to changes in the waterlevel, in Handbook of Coastal Processes and Erosion, edited by: Komar, P. D., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 167–189, 1983.
Heller, P. L. and Paola, C.: Downstream Changes in Alluvial Architecture: An Exploration of Controls on Channel-stacking Patterns, J. Sediment. Res., 66, 297–306, 1996.
Hirano, M.: River bed degradation with armouring, Trans. Japanese Soc. Civ. Eng., 3, 194–195, 1971.
Hotchkiss, R. H. and Parker, G.: Shock Fitting of Aggradational Profiles Due to Backwater, J. Hydraul. Eng., 117, 1129–1144, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1991)117:9(1129), 1991.
Ibáñez, C., Canicio, A., Day, J. W., and Curco, A.: Morphologic Development, Relative Sea Level Rise and Sustainable Management of Water and Sediment in the Ebro Delta, Spain, J. Coast. Conserv., 3, 191–202, 1997.
Jiménez, J. A. and Sánchez-Arcilla, A.: Medium-term coastal response at the Ebro delta, Spain, Mar. Geol., 114, 105–118, https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(93)90042-T, 1993.
Jiménez, J. A. and Sánchez-Arcilla, A.: A long-term (decadal scale) evolution model for microtidal barrier systems, Coast. Eng., 51, 749–764, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2004.07.007, 2004.
Jiménez, J. A., Garcia, M. A., and Sánchez-Arcilla, A.: Análisis y propuesta de soluciones para establizar el delta del Ebro: Estimatión del transporte de sedimentos en el río Ebro: Contributión a la evolución costera, Barcelona, 1990.
Jiménez, J. A., Sánchez-Arcilla, A., Valdemoro, H. I., Gracia, V., and Nieto, F.: Processes reshaping the Ebro delta, Mar. Geol., 144, 59–79, 1997.
Jones, P. D. D., Jonsson, T., and Wheeler, D.: Extension to the North Atlantic oscillation using early instrumental pressure observations from Gibraltar and south-west Iceland, Int. J. Climatol., 17, 1433–1450, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0088(19971115)17:13<1433::AID-JOC203>3.0.CO;2-P, 1997.
Kettner, A. J. and Syvitski, J. P. M.: HydroTrend v.3.0: A climate-driven hydrological transport model that simulates discharge and sediment load leaving a river system, Comput. Geosci., 34, 1170–1183, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2008.02.008, 2008.
Komar, P. D.: Mechanics of Sand Transport on Beaches, J. Geophys. Res., 76, 713–721, https://doi.org/10.1029/Jc076i003p00713, 1971.
Komar, P. D.: Beach processes and sedimentation, 2 Edn., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998.
Lane, E. W.: The Importance of Fluvial Morphology in Hydraulic Engineering, Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. Proc., 81, 1–17, 1955.
Lario, J., Zazo, C., Dabrio, C. J., Somoza, L., Goy, J. L., Bardaji, T., and Silva, P. G.: Recent Holocene Record on Spit Bars and Deltas Sediment of South Input Spain, J. Coast. Res., 17, 241–245, 1995.
Maldonado, A.: Sedimentation, Stratigraphy, and Development of the Ebro Delta, Spain, in Deltas: Models for Exploration, edited by: Lou Broussard, M., Houston Geological Society, Houston, 311–338, 1975.
Maselli, V. and Trincardi, F.: Man made deltas, Sci. Rep., 3, 1926, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep01926, 2013.
Meyer-Peter, E. and Müller, R.: Formulas for Bed-Load Transport, in Proceedings of the 2nd Meeting of the International Association for Hydraulic Structures Research, Stockholm, 39–64, 1948.
Mikeš, D.: The upper cenozoic evolution of the Duero and Ebro fluvial systems (N-Spain): part I. paleogeography; part II. geomorphology, Open Geosci., 2, 420–432, https://doi.org/10.2478/v10085-010-0017-4, 2010.
Muñoz, I. and Prat, N.: Effects of river regulation on the lower Ebro river (NE Spain), Regul. River., 3, 345–354, https://doi.org/10.1002/rrr.3450030132, 1989.
Murray, A. B.: Contrasting the goals, strategies and predictions associated with simplified numerical models and detailed simulations, in Prediction in geomorphology, edited by: Wilcock, P. R. and Iverson, R. M., American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, USA, 151–165, 2003.
Nelson, C. H.: Estimated post-Messinian sediment supply and sedimentation rates on the Ebro continental margin, Spain, Mar. Geol., 95, 395–418, https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(90)90126-5, 1990.
Nienhuis, J. H., Ashton, A. D., Roos, P. C., Hulscher, S. J. M. H., and Giosan, L.: Wave reworking of abandoned deltas, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 5899–5903, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058231, 2013.
Nienhuis, J. H., Ashton, A. D., and Giosan, L.: What makes a delta wave-dominated?, Geology, 43, 511–514, https://doi.org/10.1130/G36518.1, 2015.
Nienhuis, J. H., Ashton, A. D., Nardin, W., Fagherazzi, S., and Giosan, L.: Alongshore sediment bypassing as a control on river mouth morphodynamics, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 121, 664–683, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003780, 2016a.
Nienhuis, J. H., Ashton, A. D., and Giosan, L.: Littoral steering of deltaic channels, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 453, 204–214, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.08.018, 2016b.
Nittrouer, J. A. and Viparelli, E.: Sand as a stable and sustainable resource for nourishing the Mississippi River delta, Nat. Geosci., 7, 350–354, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2142, 2014.
NOAA: NOAA GSHHG Coastline, Natl. Geophys. Data Cent., available from: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/shorelines/shorelines.html (last access: 15 September 2017), 2015.
Olsen, J., Anderson, N. J., and Knudsen, M. F.: Variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation over the past 5,200 years, Nat. Geosci., 5, 808–812, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1589, 2012.
Ortiz, A. C. and Ashton, A. D.: Exploring shoreface dynamics and a mechanistic explanation for a morphodynamic depth of closure, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 121, 442–464, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003699, 2016.
Parker, G.: Self-formed straight rivers with equilibrium banks and mobile bed. Part 1. The sand-silt river, J. Fluid Mech., 89, 109–125, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112078002505, 1978.
Parker, G.: 1D Sediment Transport Morphodynamics with Applications to Rivers and Turbidity Currents, ebook, Minneapolis, MN, available from: hydrolab.illinois.edu/people/parkerg/morphodynamics_e-book.htm (last access: 15 September 2017), 2004.
Puertos del Estado: Wave Buoy data from Puertos del Estado, available from: www.puertos.es (last access: 15 September 2017), 2015.
van Rijn, L. C.: Sediment Transport, Part I: Bed Load Transport, J. Hydraul. Eng., 110, 1431–1456, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1984)110:10(1431), 1984.
Sabatier, P., Dezileau, L., Colin, C., Briqueu, L., Bouchette, F., Martinez, P., Siani, G., Raynal, O., and Von Grafenstein, U.: 7000 years of paleostorm activity in the NW Mediterranean Sea in response to Holocene climate events, Quaternary Res., 77, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2011.09.002, 2012.
Sánchez-Arcilla, A., Jiménez, J. A., Valdemoro, H. I., and Gracia, V.: Implications of Climatic Change on Spanish Mediterranean Low-Lying Coasts: The Ebro Delta Case, J. Coast. Res., 242, 306–316, https://doi.org/10.2112/07A-0005.1, 2008.
Schumm, S. and Lichty, R.: Channel widening and flood-plain construction along Cimarron River in southwestern Kansas, Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap., 352, 71–88, 1963.
Snow, R. S. and Slingerland, R. L.: Mathematical modeling of graded river profiles, J. Geol., 95, 15–33, 1987.
Somoza, L. and Rodriguez-Santalla, I.: Geology and Geomorphological Evolution of the Ebro River Delta, in Landscapes and Landforms of Spain, edited by: Gutierrez, F. and Gutierrez, M., Springer International Publishing, Dordrecht, NL, 213–227, 2014.
Somoza, L., Barnolas, A., Arasa, A., Maestro, A., Rees, J. G., and Hernandez-Molina, F. J.: Architectural stacking patterns of the Ebro delta controlled by Holocene high-frequency eustatic fluctuations, delta-lobe switching and subsidence processes, Sediment. Geol., 117, 11–32, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0037-0738(97)00121-8, 1998.
Soriano, M. A.: Infilled valleys in the central Ebro Basin (Spain), CATENA, 16, 357–367, https://doi.org/10.1016/0341-8162(89)90020-9, 1989.
Sotillo, M. G., Ratsimandresy, A. W., Carretero, J. C., Bentamy, A., Valero, F., and González-Rouco, F.: A high-resolution 44-year atmospheric hindcast for the Mediterranean Basin: contribution to the regional improvement of global reanalysis, Clim. Dynam., 25, 219–236, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-005-0030-7, 2005.
Syvitski, J. P. M. and Milliman, J. D.: Geology, Geography, and Humans Battle for Dominance over the Delivery of Fluvial Sediment to the Coastal Ocean, J. Geol., 115, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.1086/509246, 2007.
Syvitski, J. P. M. and Saito, Y.: Morphodynamics of deltas under the influence of humans, Global Planet. Change, 57, 261–282, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2006.12.001, 2007.
Thorndycraft, V. R. and Benito, G.: The Holocene fluvial chronology of Spain: evidence from a newly compiled radiocarbon database, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 25, 223–234, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2005.07.003, 2006.
Vericat, D. and Batalla, R. J.: Sediment transport in a large impounded river: The lower Ebro, NE Iberian Peninsula, Geomorphology, 79, 72–92, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2005.09.017, 2006.
Vericat, D., Batalla, R. J., and Garcia, C.: Breakup and reestablishment of the armour layer in a large gravel-bed river below dams: The lower Ebro, Geomorphology, 76, 122–136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2005.10.005, 2006.
van der Wegen, M., Jaffe, B. E., and Roelvink, J. A.: Process-based, morphodynamic hindcast of decadal deposition patterns in San Pablo Bay, California, 1856–1887, J. Geophys. Res., 116, F02008, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JF001614, 2011.
Wright, S. and Parker, G.: Modeling downstream fining in sand-bed rivers. I: formulation, J. Hydraul. Res., 43, 613–620, https://doi.org/10.1080/00221680509500381, 2005.
Xing, F., Kettner, A. J., Ashton, A., Giosan, L., Ibáñez, C., and Kaplan, J. O.: Fluvial response to climate variations and anthropogenic perturbations for the Ebro River, Spain in the last 4000 years., Sci. Total Environ., 473–474, 20–31, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.083, 2014.
Short summary
The Ebro Delta in Spain has a distinctive coastline shape, the origin of which has been debated. Here we show with two simple models, one of the Ebro River and one of its delta, that is it possible to reproduce this distinctive shape under constant sediment supply, wave climate, and sea-level conditions. We also find that the majority of the delta grew in the last 2000 years, when a great increase in sediment supply from the Ebro River allowed it to accelerate its growth.
The Ebro Delta in Spain has a distinctive coastline shape, the origin of which has been debated....
