Articles | Volume 5, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017
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

Jaap H. Nienhuis, Andrew D. Ashton, Albert J. Kettner, and Liviu Giosan

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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.
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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.
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