Articles | Volume 9, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-71-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-71-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Feb 2021
Research article |
| 11 Feb 2021
| 11 Feb 2021
Different coastal marsh sites reflect similar topographic conditions under which bare patches and vegetation recovery occur
Chen Wang
Satellite Application Center for Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Satellite Remote Sensing, Fengde East Road 4, Beijing 100094, China
Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp,
Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Lennert Schepers
Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp,
Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Matthew L. Kirwan
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, P.O. Box 1346, 1375 Greate Road, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, USA
Enrica Belluco
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering,
University of Padova, Via Loredan 20, 35131 Padua, Italy
Andrea D'Alpaos
Department of Geosciences, University of Padua, Via Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padua, Italy
Qiao Wang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
Satellite Application Center for Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Satellite Remote Sensing, Fengde East Road 4, Beijing 100094, China
Shoujing Yin
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Satellite Application Center for Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Satellite Remote Sensing, Fengde East Road 4, Beijing 100094, China
Stijn Temmerman
Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp,
Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Related authors
Zhan Hu, Pim W. J. M. Willemsen, Bas W. Borsje, Chen Wang, Heng Wang, Daphne van der Wal, Zhenchang Zhu, Bas Oteman, Vincent Vuik, Ben Evans, Iris Möller, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Alexander Van Braeckel, Stijn Temmerman, and Tjeerd J. Bouma
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 405–416, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-405-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-405-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Erosion and accretion processes govern the ecogeomorphic evolution of intertidal (salt marsh and tidal flat) ecosystems and hence substantially affect their valuable ecosystem services. By applying a novel sensor, we obtained unique high-resolution daily bed-level change datasets from 10 marsh–mudflat sites in northwestern Europe. This dataset has revealed diverse spatial bed-level change patterns over daily to seasonal scales, which are valuable to theoretical and model development.
Junyan Ding, Nate McDowell, Vanessa Bailey, Nate Conroy, Donnie J. Day, Yilin Fang, Kenneth M. Kemner, Matthew L. Kirwan, Charlie D. Koven, Matthew Kovach, Patrick Megonigal, Kendalynn A. Morris, Teri O’Meara, Stephanie C. Pennington, Roberta B. Peixoto, Peter Thornton, Mike Weintraub, Peter Regier, Leticia Sandoval, Fausto Machado-Silva, Alice Stearns, Nick Ward, and Stephanie J. Wilson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1544, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1544, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
We used a vegetation model to study why coastal forests are dying due to rising water levels and what happens to the ecosystem when marshes take over. We found that tree death is mainly caused by water-damaged roots, leading to major changes in the environment, such as reduced water use and carbon storage. Our study helps explain how coastal ecosystems are shifting and offers new ideas to explore in future field research.
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos
Biogeosciences, 21, 2937–2954, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study aims at inspecting organic matter dynamics affecting the survival and carbon sink potential of salt marshes, which are valuable yet endangered wetland environments. Measuring the organic matter content in marsh soils and its relationship with environmental variables, we observed that the organic matter accumulation varies at different scales, and it is driven by the interplay between sediment supply and vegetation, which are affected, in turn, by marine and fluvial influences.
Sarah Hautekiet, Jan-Eike Rossius, Olivier Gourgue, Maarten Kleinhans, and Stijn Temmerman
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 601–619, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-601-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-601-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study examined how vegetation growing in marshes affects the formation of tidal channel networks. Experiments were conducted to imitate marsh development, both with and without vegetation. The results show interdependency between biotic and abiotic factors in channel development. They mainly play a role when the landscape changes from bare to vegetated. Overall, the study suggests that abiotic factors are more important near the sea, while vegetation plays a larger role closer to the land.
Ignace Pelckmans, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Olivier Gourgue, Luis Elvin Dominguez-Granda, and Stijn Temmerman
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1463–1476, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1463-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1463-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The combination of extreme sea levels with increased river flow typically can lead to so-called compound floods. Often these are caused by storms (< 1 d), but climatic events such as El Niño could trigger compound floods over a period of months. We show that the combination of increased sea level and river discharge causes extreme water levels to amplify upstream. Mangrove forests, however, can act as a nature-based flood protection by lowering the extreme water levels coming from the sea.
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.
Guillaume Goodwin, Marco Marani, Sonia Silvestri, Luca Carniello, and Andrea D'Alpaos
Biogeosciences, 20, 4551–4576, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4551-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4551-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Seagrass meadows are an emblematic coastal habitat. Their sensitivity to environmental change means that it is essential to monitor their evolution closely. However, high costs make this endeavor a technical challenge. Here, we used machine learning to map seagrass meadows in 148 satellite images in the Venice Lagoon, Italy. We found that adding information such as depth of the seabed and known seagrass location improved our capacity to map temporal change in seagrass habitat.
Ignace Pelckmans, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis E. Dominguez-Granda, Cornelis Slobbe, Stijn Temmerman, and Olivier Gourgue
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3169–3183, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3169-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3169-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Mangroves are increasingly recognized as a coastal protection against extreme sea levels. Their effectiveness in doing so, however, is still poorly understood, as mangroves are typically located in tropical countries where data on mangrove vegetation and topography properties are often scarce. Through a modelling study, we identified the degree of channelization and the mangrove forest floor topography as the key properties for regulating high water levels in a tropical delta.
T. Blount, S. Silvestri, M. Marani, and A. D’Alpaos
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLVIII-1-W1-2023, 57–62, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-1-W1-2023-57-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-1-W1-2023-57-2023, 2023
Olivier Gourgue, Jim van Belzen, Christian Schwarz, Wouter Vandenbruwaene, Joris Vanlede, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Sergio Fagherazzi, Tjeerd J. Bouma, Johan van de Koppel, and Stijn Temmerman
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 531–553, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-531-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-531-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
There is an increasing demand for tidal-marsh restoration around the world. We have developed a new modeling approach to reduce the uncertainty associated with this development. Its application to a real tidal-marsh restoration project in northwestern Europe illustrates how the rate of landscape development can be steered by restoration design, with important consequences for restored tidal-marsh resilience to increasing sea level rise and decreasing sediment supply.
Rey Harvey Suello, Simon Lucas Hernandez, Steven Bouillon, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis Dominguez-Granda, Marijn Van de Broek, Andrea Mishell Rosado Moncayo, John Ramos Veliz, Karem Pollette Ramirez, Gerard Govers, and Stijn Temmerman
Biogeosciences, 19, 1571–1585, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1571-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This research shows indications that the age of the mangrove forest and its position along a deltaic gradient (upstream–downstream) play a vital role in the amount and sources of carbon stored in the mangrove sediments. Our findings also imply that carbon capture by the mangrove ecosystem itself contributes partly but relatively little to long-term sediment organic carbon storage. This finding is particularly relevant for budgeting the potential of mangrove ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
Florian Lauryssen, Philippe Crombé, Tom Maris, Elliot Van Maldegem, Marijn Van de Broek, Stijn Temmerman, and Erik Smolders
Biogeosciences, 19, 763–776, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-763-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-763-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Surface waters in lowland regions have a poor surface water quality, mainly due to excess nutrients like phosphate. Therefore, we wanted to know the phosphate levels without humans, also called the pre-industrial background. Phosphate binds strongly to sediment particles, suspended in the river water. In this research we used sediments deposited by a river as an archive for surface water phosphate back to 1800 CE. Pre-industrial phosphate levels were estimated at one-third of the modern levels.
Viviana Otero, Steven Pint, Klaas Deneudt, Maarten De Rijcke, Jonas Mortelmans, Lennert Schepers, Patricia Cabrera, Koen Sabbe, Wim Vyverman, Michiel Vandegehuchte, and Gert Everaert
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-11, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-11, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
A mechanistic ecological model analysed which factors drive marine phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the southern part of the North Sea and how their relationship to primary production varies on a spatiotemporal scale. We found a spatiotemporal dependence, meaning that the effects of changing abiotic conditions on phytoplankton biomass dynamics are difficult to generalise. The tailor-made ecological model will enables to predict phytoplankton biomass dynamics under future climate scenarios.
Megan N. Gillen, Tyler C. Messerschmidt, and Matthew L. Kirwan
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 413–421, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-413-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-413-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We measured the shear strength of marsh soils along an estuarine salinity gradient to determine salinity's influence on marsh erodibility. Our work is one of the first studies to directly examine the relationship between salinity and marsh erodibility. We find that an increase in salinity correlates with higher soil shear strength values, indicating that salt marshes may be more resistant to erosion. We also show that both belowground biomass and soil properties drive shear strength differences.
Zhan Hu, Pim W. J. M. Willemsen, Bas W. Borsje, Chen Wang, Heng Wang, Daphne van der Wal, Zhenchang Zhu, Bas Oteman, Vincent Vuik, Ben Evans, Iris Möller, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Alexander Van Braeckel, Stijn Temmerman, and Tjeerd J. Bouma
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 405–416, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-405-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-405-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Erosion and accretion processes govern the ecogeomorphic evolution of intertidal (salt marsh and tidal flat) ecosystems and hence substantially affect their valuable ecosystem services. By applying a novel sensor, we obtained unique high-resolution daily bed-level change datasets from 10 marsh–mudflat sites in northwestern Europe. This dataset has revealed diverse spatial bed-level change patterns over daily to seasonal scales, which are valuable to theoretical and model development.
Pietro Teatini, Cristina Da Lio, Luigi Tosi, Alessandro Bergamasco, Stefano Pasqual, Paolo Simonini, Veronica Girardi, Paolo Zorzan, Claudia Zoccarato, Massimiliano Ferronato, Marcella Roner, Marco Marani, Andrea D'Alpaos, Simonetta Cola, and Giuseppe Zambon
Proc. IAHS, 382, 345–351, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-345-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-345-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
An in-situ loading test was carried out in the Lazzaretto Nuovo salt-marsh in the Venice Lagoon, Italy. The test was aimed at characterizing the geotechnical properties of soils forming the marsh sedimentary body deposits. In fact porosity and compressibility are of paramount importance to quantify consolidation versus accretion and relative sea level rise. The fate of coastal marshlands in the next future will strongly depend of these processes.
Anna Botto, Enrica Belluco, and Matteo Camporese
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4251–4266, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4251-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4251-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We present a multivariate application of the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) in hydrological modeling of a real-world hillslope test case with dominant unsaturated dynamics and strong nonlinearities. Overall, the EnKF is able to correctly update system state and soil parameters. However, multivariate data assimilation may lead to significant tradeoffs between model predictions of different variables, if the observation data are not high quality or representative.
Peter Mueller, Lisa M. Schile-Beers, Thomas J. Mozdzer, Gail L. Chmura, Thomas Dinter, Yakov Kuzyakov, Alma V. de Groot, Peter Esselink, Christian Smit, Andrea D'Alpaos, Carles Ibáñez, Magdalena Lazarus, Urs Neumeier, Beverly J. Johnson, Andrew H. Baldwin, Stephanie A. Yarwood, Diana I. Montemayor, Zaichao Yang, Jihua Wu, Kai Jensen, and Stefanie Nolte
Biogeosciences, 15, 3189–3202, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3189-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3189-2018, 2018
Marijn Van de Broek, Stijn Temmerman, Roel Merckx, and Gerard Govers
Biogeosciences, 13, 6611–6624, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6611-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6611-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The results of this study on the organic carbon (OC) stocks of tidal marshes show that variations in OC stocks along estuaries are important and should be taken into account to make accurate estimates of the total amount of OC stored in these ecosystems. Moreover, our results clearly show that most studies underestimate the variation in OC stocks along estuaries due to a shallow sampling depth, neglecting the variation in OC decomposition after burial along estuaries.
S. Smolders, Y. Plancke, S. Ides, P. Meire, and S. Temmerman
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1659–1675, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-1659-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-1659-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Within a confined estuary, a large wetland can play an important role in storm surge mitigation. By use of a numerical model the effects of different wetland sizes, wetland elevations and wetland locations along the estuary on storm surge attenuation along the estuary were investigated. With this paper we aim to contribute towards a better understanding and wider implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation to increasing estuarine flood risks associated with storms.
M. L. Kirwan, G. R. Guntenspergen, and J. A. Langley
Biogeosciences, 11, 4801–4808, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4801-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-4801-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Physical: Geomorphology (including all aspects of fluvial, coastal, aeolian, hillslope and glacial geomorphology)
Sub-surface processes and heat fluxes at coarse blocky Murtèl rock glacier (Engadine, eastern Swiss Alps): seasonal ice and convective cooling render rock glaciers climate-robust
Influence of alluvial slope on avulsion in river deltas
Surficial sediment remobilization by shear between sediment and water above tsunamigenic megathrust ruptures: experimental study
Haloturbation in the northern Atacama Desert revealed by a hidden subsurface network of calcium sulfate wedges
An evaluation of flow-routing algorithms for calculating contributing area on regular grids
Geometric constraints on tributary fluvial network junction angles
Automatic detection of floating instream large wood in videos using deep learning
Investigating uncertainty and parameter sensitivity in bedform analysis by using a Monte Carlo approach
Geomorphic imprint of high-mountain floods: insights from the 2022 hydrological extreme across the upper Indus River catchment in the northwestern Himalayas
Short communication: Learning How Landscapes Evolve with Neural Operators
A numerical model for duricrust formation by water table fluctuations
Width evolution of channel belts as a random walk
Evidence of slow millennial cliff retreat rates using cosmogenic nuclides in coastal colluvium
Equilibrium distance from long-range dune interactions
Examination of analytical shear stress predictions for coastal dune evolution
Localised geomorphic response to channel-spanning leaky wooden dams
Post-fire evolution of ravel transport regimes in the Diablo Range, CA
Landscape response to tectonic deformation and cyclic climate change since ca. 800 ka in the southern central Andes
The Aare main overdeepening on the northern margin of the European Alps: basins, riegels, and slot canyons
Surface grain-size mapping of braided channels from SfM photogrammetry
A simple model for faceted topographies at normal faults based on an extended stream-power law
Multiple Equilibrium Configurations in River-Dominated Deltas
Short Communications: Multiscale topographic complexity analysis with pyTopoComplexity
Testing floc settling velocity models in rivers and freshwater wetlands
River suspended-sand flux computation with uncertainty estimation using water samples and high-resolution ADCP measurements
Barchan swarm dynamics from a Two-Flank Agent-Based Model
A landslide runout model for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications
Tracking slow-moving landslides with PlanetScope data: new perspectives on the satellite's perspective
Topographic metrics for unveiling fault segmentation and tectono-geomorphic evolution with insights into the impact of inherited topography, Ulsan Fault Zone, South Korea
Biomechanical parameters of marram grass (Calamagrostis arenaria) for advanced modeling of dune vegetation
Acceleration of coastal-retreat rates for high-Arctic rock cliffs on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, over the past decade
The impact of bedrock meander cutoffs on 50 kyr scale incision rates, San Juan River, Utah
Sediment aggradation rates for Himalayan Rivers revealed through SAR remote sensing
Spatiotemporal denudation rates of the Swabian Alb escarpment (Southwest Germany) dominated by base-level lowering and lithology
Use of simple analytical solutions in the calibration of Shallow Water Equations debris flow models
How water, temperature, and seismicity control the preconditioning of massive rock slope failure (Hochvogel)
Large structure simulation for landscape evolution models
Investigating the celerity of propagation for small perturbations and dispersive sediment aggradation under a supercritical flow
Terrace formation linked to outburst floods at the Diexi palaeo-landslide dam, upper Minjiang River, eastern Tibetan Plateau
AI-Based Tracking of Fast-Moving Alpine Landforms Using High Frequency Monoscopic Time-Lapse Imagery
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
Dominik Amschwand, Jonas Wicky, Martin Scherler, Martin Hoelzle, Bernhard Krummenacher, Anna Haberkorn, Christian Kienholz, and Hansueli Gubler
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 365–401, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-365-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-365-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Rock glaciers are comparatively climate-robust permafrost landforms. We estimated the energy budget of the seasonally thawing active layer (AL) of Murtèl rock glacier (Swiss Alps) based on a novel sub-surface sensor array. In the coarse blocky AL, heat is transferred by thermal radiation and air convection. The ground heat flux is largely spent on melting seasonal ice in the AL. Convective cooling and the seasonal ice turnover make rock glaciers climate-robust and shield the permafrost beneath.
Octria A. Prasojo, Trevor B. Hoey, Amanda Owen, and Richard D. Williams
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 349–363, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-349-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-349-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Decades of delta avulsion (i.e. channel abrupt jump) studies have not resolved what the main controls of delta avulsion are. Using a computer model, integrated with field observation, analytical, and laboratory-made deltas, we found that the sediment load, which itself is controlled by the steepness of the river upstream of a delta, controls the timing of avulsion. We can now better understand the main cause of abrupt channel changes in deltas, a finding that aids flood risk management in river deltas.
Chloé Seibert, Cecilia McHugh, Chris Paola, Leonardo Seeber, and James Tucker
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 341–348, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-341-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-341-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We propose a new mechanism of co-seismic sediment entrainment induced by shear stress at the sediment–water interface during major subduction earthquakes rupturing to the trench. Physical experiments show that flow velocities consistent with long-period earthquake motions can entrain synthetic marine sediment, and high-frequency vertical shaking can enhance this mobilization. They validate the proposed entrainment mechanism, which opens new avenues for paleoseismology in deep-sea environments.
Aline Zinelabedin, Joel Mohren, Maria Wierzbicka-Wieczorek, Tibor Janos Dunai, Stefan Heinze, and Benedikt Ritter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 257–276, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-257-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-257-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In order to interpret the formation processes of subsurface salt wedges and polygonal patterned grounds from the northern Atacama Desert, we present a multi-methodological approach. Due to the high salt content of the wedges, we suggest that their formation is dominated by subsurface salt dynamics requiring moisture. We assume that the climatic conditions during the wedge growth were slightly wetter than today, offering the potential to use the wedges as palaeoclimate archives.
Alexander B. Prescott, Jon D. Pelletier, Satya Chataut, and Sriram Ananthanarayan
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 239–256, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-239-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-239-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Many Earth surface processes are controlled by the spatial pattern of surface water flow. We review commonly used methods for predicting such spatial patterns in digital landform models and document the pros and cons of commonly used methods. We propose a new method that is designed to minimize those limitations and show that it works well in a variety of test cases.
Jon D. Pelletier, Robert G. Hayes, Olivia Hoch, Brendan Fenerty, and Luke A. McGuire
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 219–238, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-219-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-219-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We demonstrate that landscapes with more planar initial conditions tend to have lower mean junction angles. Geomorphic processes on alluvial piedmonts result in especially planar initial conditions, consistent with a correlation between junction angles and the presence/absence of Late Cenozoic alluvial deposits and the constraint imposed by the intersection of planar approximations to the topography upslope from tributary junctions. We caution against using junction angles to infer paleoclimate.
Janbert Aarnink, Tom Beucler, Marceline Vuaridel, and Virginia Ruiz-Villanueva
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 167–189, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-167-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-167-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a novel convolutional-neural-network approach for detecting instream large wood in rivers, addressing the need for flexible monitoring methods across diverse data sources. Using a database of 15 228 fully labelled images, the model achieved a weighted mean average precision of 67 %. Fine-tuning parameters and sampling techniques can improve performance by over 10 % in some cases, offering valuable insights into ecosystem management.
Julius Reich and Axel Winterscheid
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 191–217, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-191-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-191-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Analyzing the geometry and the dynamics of riverine bedforms (so-called dune tracking) is important for various fields of application and contributes to sound and efficient river and sediment management. We developed a workflow that enables a robust estimation of bedform characteristics and with which comprehensive sensitivity analyses can be carried out. Using a field dataset, we show that the setting of input parameters in bedform analyses can have a significant impact on the results.
Abhishek Kashyap, Kristen L. Cook, and Mukunda Dev Behera
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 147–166, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-147-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-147-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Short-lived, high-magnitude flood events across high mountain regions leave substantial geomorphic imprints, which are frequently triggered by excess precipitation, glacial lake outbursts, and natural dam breaches. These catastrophic floods highlight the importance of understanding the complex interaction between climatic, hydrological, and geological forces in bedrock catchments. Extreme floods can have long-term geomorphic consequences on river morphology and fluvial processes.
Gareth G. Roberts
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-307, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-307, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The use of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to learn how landscapes evolve is demonstrated. A few ‘snapshots' of an eroding landscape at different stages of its history provide enough information for AI to ascertain rules governing its evolution. Once the rules are known, predicting landscape evolution is extremely rapid and efficient, providing new tools to understand landscape change.
Caroline Fenske, Jean Braun, François Guillocheau, and Cécile Robin
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 119–146, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-119-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-119-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We have developed a new numerical model to represent the formation of duricrusts, which are hard mineral layers found in soils and at the surface of the Earth. We assume that the formation mechanism implies variations in the height of the water table and that the hardening rate is proportional to precipitation. The model allows us to quantify the potential feedbacks they generate on the surface topography and the thickness of the regolith/soil layer.
Jens M. Turowski, Fergus McNab, Aaron Bufe, and Stefanie Tofelde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 97–117, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-97-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-97-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Channel belts comprise the area affected by a river due to lateral migration and floods. As a landform, they affect water resources and flood hazard, and they often host unique ecological communities. We develop a model describing the evolution of channel-belt area over time. The model connects the behaviour of the river to the evolution of the channel belt over a timescale of centuries. A comparison to selected data from experiments and real river systems verifies the random walk approach.
Rémi Bossis, Vincent Regard, Sébastien Carretier, and Sandrine Choy
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 71–79, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-71-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-71-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The erosion of rocky coasts occurs episodically through wave action and landslides, constituting a major natural hazard. Documenting the factors that control the coastal retreat rate over millennia is fundamental to evidencing any change in time. However, the known rates to date are essentially representative of the last few decades. Here, we present a new method using the concentration of an isotope, 10Be, in sediment eroded from the cliff to quantify its retreat rate averaged over millennia.
Jean Vérité, Clément Narteau, Olivier Rozier, Jeanne Alkalla, Laurie Barrier, and Sylvain Courrech du Pont
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 23–39, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-23-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-23-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Using a numerical model in 2D, we study how two identical dunes interact with each other when exposed to reversing winds. Depending on the distance between the dunes, they either repel or attract each other until they reach an equilibrium distance, which is controlled by the wind strength, wind reversal frequency, and dune size. This process is controlled by the modification of wind flow over dunes of various shapes, influencing the sediment transport downstream.
Orie Cecil, Nicholas Cohn, Matthew Farthing, Sourav Dutta, and Andrew Trautz
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Using computational fluid dynamics, we analyze the error trends of an analytical shear stress distribution model used to drive aeolian transport for coastal dunes, which are an important line of defense against storm-related flooding hazards. We find that compared to numerical simulations, the analytical model results in a net overprediction of the landward migration rate. Additionally, two data-driven approaches are proposed for reducing the error while maintaining computational efficiency.
Joshua M. Wolstenholme, Christopher J. Skinner, David J. Milan, Robert E. Thomas, and Daniel R. Parsons
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3001, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3001, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Leaky wooden dams are a popular form of natural flood management used to slow the flow of water by increasing floodplain connectivity whilst decreasing connectivity along the river profile. By monitoring two leaky wooden dams in North Yorkshire, UK, we present the geomorphological response to their installation, highlighting that the structures significantly increase channel complexity in response to different river flow conditions.
Hayden L. Jacobson, Danica L. Roth, Gabriel Walton, Margaret Zimmer, and Kerri Johnson
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1415–1446, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1415-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1415-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Loose grains travel farther after a fire because no vegetation is left to stop them. This matters since loose grains at the base of a slope can turn into a debris flow if it rains. To find if grass growing back after a fire had different impacts on grains of different sizes on slopes of different steepness, we dropped thousands of natural grains and measured how far they went. Large grains went farther 7 months after the fire than 11 months after, and small grain movement didn’t change much.
Elizabeth N. Orr, Taylor F. Schildgen, Stefanie Tofelde, Hella Wittmann, and Ricardo N. Alonso
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1391–1413, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1391-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial terraces and alluvial fans in the Toro Basin, NW Argentina, record river evolution and global climate cycles over time. Landform dating reveals lower-frequency climate cycles (100 kyr) preserved downstream and higher-frequency cycles (21/40 kyr) upstream, supporting theoretical predications that longer rivers filter out higher-frequency climate signals. This finding improves our understanding of the spatial distribution of sedimentary paleoclimate records within landscapes.
Fritz Schlunegger, Edi Kissling, Dimitri Tibo Bandou, Guilhem Amin Douillet, David Mair, Urs Marti, Regina Reber, Patrick Schläfli, and Michael Alfred Schwenk
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1371–1389, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1371-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1371-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Overdeepenings are bedrock depressions filled with sediment. We combine the results of a gravity survey with drilling data to explore the morphology of such a depression beneath the city of Bern. We find that the target overdeepening comprises two basins >200 m deep. They are separated by a bedrock riegel that itself is cut by narrow canyons up to 150 m deep. We postulate that these structures formed underneath a glacier, where erosion by subglacial meltwater caused the formation of the canyons.
Loïs Ribet, Frédéric Liébault, Laurent Borgniet, Michaël Deschâtres, and Gabriel Melun
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3697, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3697, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This work presents a protocol and a model to get the size of the pebbles in mountain rivers from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle images. A set of 12 rivers located in south-eastern France were photographed to build the model. The results show that the model has little error and should be usable for similar rivers. Grain-size of mountain rivers is an important parameter for environmental diagnostics by mapping the aquatic habitats and for flood management by estimating the pebbles fluxes during floods.
Stefan Hergarten
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1315–1327, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1315-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1315-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Faceted topographies are impressive footprints of active tectonics in geomorphology. This paper investigates the evolution of faceted topographies at normal faults and their interaction with a river network theoretically and numerically. As a main result beyond several relations for the geometry of facets, the horizontal displacement associated with normal faults is crucial for the dissection of initially polygonal facets into triangular facets bounded by almost parallel rivers.
Lorenzo Durante, Nicoletta Tambroni, and Michele Bolla Pittaluga
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3552, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3552, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River deltas are dynamic areas where rivers meet the sea. This study examines delta configurations to guide balanced development and environmental health. Using the Po River Delta, we developed a model to understand how different delta parts interact and maintain balance. Our findings show that deltas can reach varied states of balance, with some areas more prone to shift. These insights support predictions of delta changes and better management strategies.
Larry Syu-Heng Lai, Adam M. Booth, Alison R. Duvall, and Erich Herzig
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3415, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3415, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
pyTopoComplexity is an open-source tool that quantifies land surface complexity using advanced methods. Applied to a landslide-affected area in Washington, USA, it accurately analyzed landform features at various scales, enhancing our understanding of landform recovery after disturbances. By integrating with Landlab’s landscape evolution simulations, the software allows researchers to explore how different processes drive the evolution of surface complexity in response to natural forces.
Justin A. Nghiem, Gen K. Li, Joshua P. Harringmeyer, Gerard Salter, Cédric G. Fichot, Luca Cortese, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1267–1294, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fine sediment grains in freshwater can cohere into faster-settling particles called flocs, but floc settling velocity theory has not been fully validated. Combining three data sources in novel ways in the Wax Lake Delta, we verified a semi-empirical model relying on turbulence and geochemical factors. For a physics-based model, we showed that the representative grain diameter within flocs relies on floc structure and that heterogeneous flow paths inside flocs increase floc settling velocity.
Jessica Marggraf, Guillaume Dramais, Jérôme Le Coz, Blaise Calmel, Benoît Camenen, David J. Topping, William Santini, Gilles Pierrefeu, and François Lauters
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1243–1266, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1243-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1243-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Suspended-sand fluxes in rivers vary with time and space, complicating their measurement. The proposed method captures the vertical and lateral variations of suspended-sand concentration throughout a river cross-section. It merges water samples taken at various positions throughout the cross-section with high-resolution acoustic velocity measurements. This is the first method that includes a fully applicable uncertainty estimation; it can easily be applied to any other study sites.
Dominic T. Robson and Andreas C. W. Baas
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1205–1226, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1205-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1205-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Barchans are fast-moving sand dunes which form large populations (swarms) on Earth and Mars. We show that a small range of model parameters produces swarms in which dune size does not vary downwind – something that is observed in nature but not when using earlier models. We also show how the shape of dunes and the spatial patterns they form are affected by wind direction. This work furthers our understanding of the interplay between environmental drivers, dune interactions, and swarm properties.
Jeffrey Keck, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Benjamin Campforts, Gregory Tucker, and Alexander Horner-Devine
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1165–1191, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
MassWastingRunout (MWR) is a new landslide runout model designed for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications. MWR is written in Python and includes a calibration utility that automatically determines best-fit parameters for a site and empirical probability density functions of each parameter for probabilistic model implementation. MWR and Jupyter Notebook tutorials are available as part of the Landlab package at https://github.com/landlab/landlab.
Ariane Mueting and Bodo Bookhagen
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1121–1143, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the use of optical PlanetScope data for offset tracking of the Earth's surface movement. We found that co-registration accuracy is locally degraded when outdated elevation models are used for orthorectification. To mitigate this bias, we propose to only correlate scenes acquired from common perspectives or base orthorectification on more up-to-date elevation models generated from PlanetScope data alone. This enables a more detailed analysis of landslide dynamics.
Cho-Hee Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, John Weber, Sangmin Ha, Dong-Eun Kim, and Byung Yong Yu
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1091–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Topographic metrics were used to understand changes due to tectonic activity. We evaluated the relative tectonic activity along the Ulsan Fault Zone (UFZ), one of the most active fault zones in South Korea. We divided the UFZ into five segments, based on the spatial variation in activity. We modeled the landscape evolution of the study area and interpreted tectono-geomorphic history during which the northern part of the UFZ experienced asymmetric uplift, while the southern part did not.
Viktoria Kosmalla, Oliver Lojek, Jana Carus, Kara Keimer, Lukas Ahrenbeck, Björn Mehrtens, David Schürenkamp, Boris Schröder, and Nils Goseberg
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2688, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2688, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study analysed seasonal biomechanical traits of marram grass at two coastal dune sites using monthly field and lab data acquired 2022. Differences in density, leaf length, and flower stems were observed, which are unaffected by wind and deemed transferable. These findings enable surrogate model development for numerical and physical experiments alike, where live vegetation is impractical. Results address the knowledge gap how dune stability and erosion resistance are affected by vegetation.
Juditha Aga, Livia Piermattei, Luc Girod, Kristoffer Aalstad, Trond Eiken, Andreas Kääb, and Sebastian Westermann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1049–1070, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal rock cliffs on Svalbard are considered to be fairly stable; however, long-term trends in coastal-retreat rates remain unknown. This study examines changes in the coastline position along Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, using aerial images from 1970, 1990, 2010, and 2021. Our analysis shows that coastal-retreat rates accelerate during the period 2010–2021, which coincides with increasing storminess and retreating sea ice.
Aaron T. Steelquist, Gustav B. Seixas, Mary L. Gillam, Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, and George E. Hilley
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1071–1089, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, 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 for 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.
Jingqiu Huang and Hugh D. Sinclair
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2600, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2600, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses radar technology to track tiny changes in riverbeds elevation in Himalayan Rivers as they flow onto the Gangetic Plains. By analyzing data from 2016 to 2021, we found that sediment builds up in seasonally dry (ephemeral) rivers during monsoon seasons, while the surrounding floodplains is sinking. This research is important for understanding how these elevation changes affect flood risks in rapidly growing communities in Nepal and India. Our findings can improve flood management.
Mirjam Schaller, Daniel Peifer, Alexander B. Neely, Thomas Bernard, Christoph Glotzbach, Alexander R. Beer, and Todd A. Ehlers
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2729, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2729, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study reports chemical weathering, physical erosion, and total denudation rates from river load data in the Swabian Alb, Southwest Germany. Tributaries to the Neckar River draining to the North show higher rates than tributaries draining to the South into the Danube River causing a retreat of the Swabian Alb escarpment. Observations are discussed in the light of lithology, climate, and topography. The data are further compared to other rates over space and time as well as to global data.
Riccardo Bonomelli, Marco Pilotti, and Gabriele Farina
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2267, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2267, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Debris flows are fundamental components of the hazard in mountain regions and numerical models must be used for the related risk computation. Most existing commercial software strongly conceptualizes the main characteristics of the flow, leading to an inevitable calibration process, that is time-consuming and difficult to accomplish. This contribution offers some physically based solutions to confine the calibration process and to better understand the implications of the selected choice.
Johannes Leinauer, Michael Dietze, Sibylle Knapp, Riccardo Scandroglio, Maximilian Jokel, and Michael Krautblatter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1027–1048, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, 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 4 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.
Julien Coatléven and Benoit Chauveau
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 995–1026, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The aim of this paper is to explain how to incorporate classical water flow routines into landscape evolution models while keeping numerical errors under control. The key idea is to adapt filtering strategies to eliminate anomalous numerical errors and mesh dependencies, as confirmed by convergence tests with analytic solutions. The emergence of complex geomorphic structures is now driven exclusively by nonlinear heterogeneous physical processes rather than by random numerical artifacts.
Hasan Eslami, Erfan Poursoleymanzadeh, Mojtaba Hiteh, Keivan Tavakoli, Melika Yavari Nia, Ehsan Zadehali, Reihaneh Zarrabi, and Alessio Radice
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-414, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-414, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A channel may be aggraded by overloaded sediment. In this study we realize an aggradation experiment and determine the celerity at which an aggradation wave, due to sediment overloading, migrates. We also investigate the celerity of small perturbations, as quantified based on mathematical formulations. The celerities of the two kinds are correlated with each other. However, the celerity of small perturbations is larger than the other one, that is less than a few percent of the water velocity.
Jingjuan Li, John D. Jansen, Xuanmei Fan, Zhiyong Ding, Shugang Kang, and Marco Lovati
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 953–971, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigated the geomorphology, sedimentology, and chronology of Tuanjie (seven terraces) and Taiping (three terraces) terraces in Diexi, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Results highlight that two damming and three outburst events occurred in the area during the late Pleistocene, and the outburst floods have been a major factor in the formation of tectonically active mountainous river terraces. Tectonic activity and climatic changes play a minor role.
Hanne Hendrickx, Xabier Blanch, Melanie Elias, Reynald Delaloye, and Anette Eltner
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2570, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2570, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduces a novel AI-based method to track and analyse the movement of rock glaciers and landslides, key indicators of permafrost dynamics in high mountain regions. Using time-lapse images, our approach provides detailed velocity data, revealing patterns that traditional methods miss. This cost-effective tool enhances our ability to monitor geohazards, offering insights into climate change impacts on permafrost and improving safety in alpine areas.
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.
Cited articles
Adamowicz, S. C. and Roman, C. T.: New England salt marsh pools: a quantitative analysis of geomorphic and geographic features, Wetlands, 25,
279–288, https://doi.org/10.1672/4, 2005.
Alkemade, I. S. W.: Kwaliteitsdocument Laseraltimetrie, Projectgebied Westerschelde, Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, Rijkswaterstaat, Delft,
the Netherlands, 2004.
Allen, J.: Morphodynamics of Holocene salt marshes: a review sketch from the
Atlantic and Southern North Sea coasts of Europe, Quaternay Sci. Rev., 19,
1155–1231, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-3791(99)00034-7, 2000.
Argow, B. A. and FitzGerald, D. M.: Winter processes on northern salt marshes: evaluating the impact of in-situ peat compaction due to ice loading, Wells, ME, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 69, 360–369, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.006, 2006.
Bakker, R. B. and Bijkerk, W.: Toelichting Bij de Geomorfologische Kartering
Westerschelde 2008 op Basis van False Colour-Luchtfoto's 1:10.000, Report,
Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, Rijksinstituut, Adviesdienst
Geo-Informatie & ICT, Den Haag, Delft, the Netherlands, 2009.
Balke, T., Stock, M., Jensen, K., Bouma, T. J., and Kleyer, M.: A global
analysis of the seaward salt marsh extent: The importance of tidal range,
Water Resour. Res., 52, 3775–3786, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR018318, 2016.
Barbier, E. B., Koch, E. W., Silliman, B. R., Hacker, S. D., Wolanski, E.,
Primavera, J., Granek, E. F., Polasky, S., Aswani, S., Cramer, L. A., Stoms,
D. M., Kennedy, C. J., Bael, D., Kappel, C. V., Perillo, G. M. E., and Reed,
D. J.: Coastal ecosystem-based management with nonlinear ecological functions and values, Science, 319, 321–323, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1150349, 2008.
Barbier, E. B., Hacker, S. D., Kennedy, C., Koch, E. W., Stier, A. C., and
Silliman, B. R.: The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services, Ecol. Monogr., 81, 169–193, https://doi.org/10.1890/10-1510.1, 2011.
Bartholdy, J.: Salt marsh sedimentation, in: Principles of Tidal Sedimentology, edited by: Davis, R. A. and Dalrymple, R. W., Springer,
Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 151–185, 2012.
Baumann, R. H., Day, J. W., and Miller, C. A.: Mississippi deltaic wetland
survival: sedimentation versus coastal submergence, Science, 224, 1093–1095, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.224.4653.1093, 1984.
Belluco, E., Camuffo, M., Ferrari, S., Modenese, L., Silvestri, S., Marani, A., and Marani, M.: Mapping salt-marsh vegetation by multispectral and
hyperspectral remote sensing, Remote Sens. Environ., 105, 54–67,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2006.06.006, 2006.
Brückner, M. Z. M., Schwarz, C., van Dijk, W. M., van Oorschot, M., Douma, H., and Kleinhans, M. G.: Salt marsh establishment and eco-engineering effects in dynamic estuaries determined by species growth and mortality, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 124, 2962–2986, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005092, 2019.
Carbognin, L., Teatini, P., and Tosi, L.: Eustacy and land subsidence in the
Venice Lagoon at the beginning of the new millennium, J. Mar. Syst., 51,
345–353, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2004.05.021, 2004.
Carniello, L., Defina, A., and D'Alpaos, L.: Morphological evolution of the
Venice Lagoon: evidence from the past and trend for the future, J. Geophys.
Res., 114, F04002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008jf001157, 2009.
Christiansen, T., Wiberg, P. L., and Milligan, T. G.: Flow and sediment
transport on a tidal salt marsh surface, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 50, 315–331, https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.2000.0548, 2000.
Covi, M. P. and Kneib, R. T.: Intertidal distribution, population dynamics and production of the amphipod Uhlorchestia spartinophila in a Georgia, USA,
salt marsh, Mar. Biol., 121, 447–455, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00349453, 1995.
D'Alpaos, A.: The mutual influence of biotic and abiotic components on the
long-term ecomorphodynamic evolution of salt-marsh ecosystems, Geomorphology, 126, 269–278, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.04.027, 2011.
D'Alpaos, A. and Marani, M.: Reading the signatures of biologic–geomorphic
feedbacks in salt-marsh landscapes, Adv. Water Resour., 93, 265–275,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2015.09.004, 2016.
D'Alpaos, A., Lanzoni, S., Marani, M., and Rinaldo, A.: Landscape evolution
in tidal embayments: modeling the interplay of erosion, sedimentation, and
vegetation dynamics, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F01008, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006jf000537, 2007.
D'Alpaos, A., Lanzoni, S., Marani, M., and Rinaldo, A.: On the tidal
prism–channel area relations, J. Geophys. Res., 115, F01003,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2008jf001243, 2010.
D'Alpaos, A., Mudd, S. M., and Carniello, L.: Dynamic response of marshes to
perturbations in suspended sediment concentrations and rates of relative sea
level rise, J. Geophys. Res., 116, F04020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jf002093, 2011.
Day, J. W., Rybczyk, J., Scarton, F., Rismondo, A., Are, D., and Cecconi, G.: Soil accretionary dynamics, sea-level rise and the survival of wetlands in Venice Lagoon: a field and modelling approach, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 49, 607–628, https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.1999.0522, 1999.
Day, J. W., Britsch, L. D., Hawes, S. R., Shaffer, G. P., Reed, D. J., and
Cahoon, D.: Pattern and process of land loss in the Mississippi delta: a spatial and temporal analysis of wetland habitat change, Estuaries, 23,
425–438, https://doi.org/10.2307/1353136, 2000.
Defendi, V., Kovačević, V., Arena, F., and Zaggia, L.: Estimating
sediment transport from acoustic measurements in the Venice Lagoon inlets,
Cont. Shelf Res., 30, 883–893, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2009.12.004, 2010.
DeLaune, R. D., Nyman, J. A., and Patrick, J. W. H.: Peat collapse, ponding
and wetland loss in a rapidly submerging coastal marsh, J. Coast. Res., 10,
1021–1030, 1994.
Elschot, K., Vermeulen, A., Vandenbruwaene, W., Bakker, J. P., Bouma, T. J.,
Stahl, J., Castelijns, H., and Temmerman, S.: Top-down vs. bottom-up control
on vegetation composition in a tidal marsh depends on scale, PLoS One, 12,
e0169960, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169960, 2017.
Erwin, R. M., Cahoon, D. R., Prosser, D. J., Sanders, G. M., and Hensel, P.:
Surface elevation dynamics in vegetated Spartina marshes versus unvegetated tidal ponds along the Mid-Atlantic Coast, USA, with implications to waterbirds, Estuar. Coasts, 29, 96–106, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02784702, 2006.
Esselink, P., Dijkema, K. S., Sabine, R., and Geert, H.: Vertical accretion
and profile changes in abandoned man-made tidal marshes in the Dollard Estuary, the Netherlands, J. Coast. Res., 14, 570–582, 1998.
Fagherazzi, S.: The ephemeral life of a salt marsh, Geology, 41, 943–944,
https://doi.org/10.1130/focus082013.1, 2013.
Fagherazzi, S., Carniello, L., D'Alpaos, L., and Defina, A.: Critical bifurcation of shallow microtidal landforms in tidal flats and salt marshes,
P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 103, 8337–8341, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0508379103, 2006.
Fagherazzi, S., Palermo, C., Rulli, M. C., Carniello, L., and Defina, A.: Wind waves in shallow microtidal basins and the dynamic equilibrium of tidal
flats, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F02024, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006jf000572, 2007.
Fagherazzi, S., Kirwan, M. L., Mudd, S. M., Guntenspergen, G. R., Temmerman,
S., D'Alpaos, A., van de Koppel, J., Rybczyk, J. M., Reyes, E., Craft, C., and Clough, J.: Numerical models of salt marsh evolution: ecological, geomorphic, and climatic factors, Rev. Geophys., 50, 294–295,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011rg000359, 2012.
Fagherazzi, S., Mariotti, G., Wiberg, P., and McGlathery, K.: Marsh collapse
does not require sea level rise, Oceanography, 26, 70–77,
https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.47, 2013.
Friedrichs, C. T. and Perry, J. E.: Tidal Salt Marsh Morphodynamics: A Synthesis, J. Coast. Res., 27, 7–37, 2001.
Ganju, N. K., Nidzieko, N. J., and Kirwan, M. L.: Inferring tidal wetland
stability from channel sediment fluxes: observations and a conceptual model,
J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 118, 2045–2058, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrf.20143, 2013.
Gedan, K. B., Kirwan, M. L., Wolanski, E., Barbier, E. B., and Silliman, B.
R.: The present and future role of coastal wetland vegetation in protecting
shorelines: answering recent challenges to the paradigm, Climatic Change, 106, 7–29, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-010-0003-7, 2011.
Gieskes, J. M., Elwany, H., Rasmussen, L., Han, S., Rathburn, A., and Deheyn, D. D.: Salinity variations in the Venice Lagoon, Italy: results from the SIOSED project, May 2005–February 2007, Mar. Chem., 154, 77–86,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2013.05.011, 2013.
Harshberger, J. W.: The origin and vegetation of salt marsh pools, Proc. Am.
Philos. Soc., 55, 481–484, 1916.
Hu, Z., Suzuki, T., Zitman, T., Uittewaal, W., and Stive, M.: Laboratory
study on wave dissipation by vegetation in combined current–wave flow, Coast. Eng., 88, 131–142, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2014.02.009, 2014.
Hu, Z., van Belzen, J., van der Wal, D., Balke, T., Wang, Z. B., Stive, M.,
and Bouma, T. J.: Windows of opportunity for salt marsh vegetation establishment on bare tidal flats: the importance of temporal and spatial
variability in hydrodynamic forcing, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 120, 1450–1469, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014jg002870, 2015a.
Hu, Z., Wang, Z. B., Zitman, T. J., Stive, M. J. F., and Bouma, T. J.: Predicting long-term and short-term tidal flat morphodynamics using a dynamic equilibrium theory, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 120, 1803–1823, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jf003486, 2015b.
Hu, Z., van der Wal, D., Cai, H., van Belzen, J., and Bouma, T. J.: Dynamic
equilibrium behaviour observed on two contrasting tidal flats from daily
monitoring of bed-level changes, Geomorphology, 311, 114–126,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.03.025, 2018.
Huijs, S. W. E.: Geomorfologische Ontwikkeling van Het Intergetijdegebied in
de Westerschelde, 1935–1989, Rapport R 95-3, Universiteit Utrecht, Utrecht,
the Netherlands, 1995.
Kearney, M. S. and Rogers, A. S.: Forecasting sites of future coastal marsh
loss using topographical relationships and logistic regression, Wetl. Ecol.
Manage., 18, 449–461, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-010-9178-y, 2010.
Kearney, M. S., Grace, R. E., and Stevenson, J. C.: Marsh loss in nanticoke
estuary, Chesapeake Bay, Geogr. Rev., 78, 205–220, https://doi.org/10.2307/214178, 1988.
Kearney, M. S., Rogers, A. S., Townshend, J. R. G., Rizzo, E., Stutzer, D.,
Stevenson, J. C., and Sundborg, K.: Landsat imagery shows decline of coastal
marshes in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, Eos Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 83,
173–178, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002eo000112, 2002.
Kendrot, S. R.: Restoration through eradication: protecting Chesapeake Bay
marshlands from invasive nutria (Myocastor coypus), in: Island Invasives: Eradication and Management, in: Proceedings of the International Conference on Island Invasives (Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission), edited by: Veitch, C. R., Clout, M. N., and Towns, D. R., IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, 313–319, 2011.
Kirwan, M. L. and Guntenspergen, G. R.: Influence of tidal range on the
stability of coastal marshland, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, F02009,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jf001400, 2010.
Kirwan, M. L. and Guntenspergen, G. R.: Feedbacks between inundation, root
production, and shoot growth in a rapidly submerging brackish marsh, J. Ecol., 100, 764–770, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2012.01957.x, 2012.
Kirwan, M. L. and Guntenspergen, G. R.: Response of plant productivity to
experimental flooding in a stable and a submerging marsh, Ecosystems, 18,
903–913, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-015-9870-0, 2015.
Kirwan, M. L. and Megonigal, J. P.: Tidal wetland stability in the face of
human impacts and sea-level rise, Nature, 504, 53–60, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12856, 2013.
Kirwan, M. L. and Murray, A. B.: A coupled geomorphic and ecological model of tidal marsh evolution, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 104, 6118–6122,
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0700958104, 2007.
Kirwan, M. L., Murray, A. B., and Boyd, W. S.: Temporary vegetation disturbance as an explanation for permanent loss of tidal wetlands, Geophys.
Res. Lett., 35, L05403, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007gl032681, 2008.
Kirwan, M. L., Guntenspergen, G. R., D'Alpaos, A., Morris, J. T., Mudd, S. M., and Temmerman, S.: Limits on the adaptability of coastal marshes to rising sea level, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, 58–94, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010gl045489, 2010.
Kirwan, M. L., Murray, A. B., Donnelly, J. P., and Corbett, D. R.: Rapid wetland expansion during European settlement and its implication for marsh
survival under modern sediment delivery rates, Geology, 39, 507–510,
https://doi.org/10.1130/g31789.1, 2011.
Leonard, L. A.: Controls of sediment transport and deposition in an incised
mainland marsh basin, Southeastern North Carolina, Wetlands, 17, 263–274,
https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03161414, 1997.
Marani, M., Belluco, E., D'Alpaos, A., Defina, A., Lanzoni, S., and Rinaldo,
A.: On the drainage density of tidal networks, Water Resour. Res., 39,
5029–5035, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001wr001051, 2003.
Marani, M., Silvestri, S., Belluco, E., Ursino, N., Comerlati, A., Tosatto,
O., and Putti, M.: Spatial organization and ecohydrological interactions in
oxygen-limited vegetation ecosystems, Water Resour. Res., 42, 387–403,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005wr004582, 2006.
Marani, M., D'Alpaos, A., Lanzoni, S., Carniello, L., and Rinaldo, A.:
Biologically-controlled multiple equilibria of tidal landforms and the fate
of the Venice Lagoon, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, 224–238, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007gl030178, 2007.
Marani, M., D'Alpaos, A., Lanzoni, S., Carniello, L., and Rinaldo, A.: The
importance of being coupled: stable states and catastrophic shifts in tidal
biomorphodynamics, J. Geophys. Res., 115, F04004, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jf001600, 2010.
Mariotti, G.: Revisiting salt marsh resilience to sea level rise: are ponds
responsible for permanent land loss?, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 121, 1391–1407, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jf003900, 2016.
Mariotti, G. and Fagherazzi, S.: A numerical model for the coupled long-term
evolution of salt marshes and tidal flats, J. Geophys. Res., 115, F01004,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jf001326, 2010.
Mariotti, G. and Fagherazzi, S.: Critical width of tidal flats triggers marsh collapse in the absence of sea-level rise, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 110, 5353–5356, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1219600110, 2013.
McGlathery, K., Reidenbach, M., D'Odorico, P., Fagherazzi, S., Pace, M., and
Porter, J.: Nonlinear dynamics and alternative stable states in shallow coastal systems, Oceanography, 26, 220–231, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.66, 2013.
McLeod, E., Chmura, G. L., Bouillon, S., Salm, R., Björk, M., Duarte, C.
M., Lovelock, C. E., Schlesinger, W. H., and Silliman, B. R.: A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2, Front. Ecol. Environ., 9,
552–560, https://doi.org/10.1890/110004, 2011.
Miller, W. R. and Egler, F. E.: Vegetation of the wequetequock-pawcatuck
tidal-marshes, Connecticut, Ecol. Monogr., 20, 143–172, https://doi.org/10.2307/1943548, 1950.
Millette, T. L., Argow, B. A., Marcano, E., Hayward, C., Hopkinson, C. S., and Valentine, V.: Salt marsh geomorphological analysesviaintegration of
multitemporal multispectral remote sensing with LIDAR and GIS, J. Coast. Res., 265, 809–816, https://doi.org/10.2112/jcoastres-d-09-00101.1, 2010.
Moffett, K., Nardin, W., Silvestri, S., Wang, C., and Temmerman, S.:
Multiple stable states and catastrophic shifts in coastal wetlands: progress, challenges, and opportunities in validating theory using remote sensing and other methods, Remote Sens., 7, 10184–10226, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs70810184, 2015.
Morton, R. A., Tiling, G., and Ferina, N. F.: Causes of hot-spot wetland loss in the Mississippi delta plain, Environ. Geosci., 10, 71–80,
https://doi.org/10.1306/eg100202007, 2003.
Moskalski, S. M. and Sommerfield, C. K.: Suspended sediment deposition and
trapping efficiency in a Delaware salt marsh, Geomorphology, 139–140,
195–204, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.10.018, 2012.
Mudd, S. M., D'Alpaos, A., and Morris, J. T.: How does vegetation affect
sedimentation on tidal marshes? Investigating particle capture and hydrodynamic controls on biologically mediated sedimentation, J. Geophys. Res., 115, F03029, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jf001566, 2010.
Neumeier, U. R. S. and Amos, C. L.: The influence of vegetation on turbulence and flow velocities in European salt-marshes, Sedimentology, 53, 259–277, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2006.00772.x, 2006.
Nyman, J. A., Walters, R. J., Delaune, R. D., and Patrick, W. H.: Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 69,
370–380, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2006.05.041, 2006.
OCM Partners: 2003 Maryland Department of Natural Resources LiDAR: Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties, with portions of Caroline, Kent and Queen Anne's Counties, available at:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/49781, last access: 6 February 2021.
Ortiz, A. C., Roy, S., and Edmonds, D. A.: Land loss by pond expansion on the Mississippi river delta plain, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 3635–3642,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl073079, 2017.
Pendleton, E. and Stevenson, J.: Investigations of Marsh Losses at Blackwater Refuge: Final Report, University of Maryland Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, Cambridge, MA, 1983.
Penland, S., Wayne, L., Britsch, L. D., Williams, S. J., Beall, A. D., and
Butterworth, V. C.: Geomorphic Classification of Coastal Land Loss between 1932 and 1990 in the Mississippi River Delta Plain, Southeastern Louisiana, USGS Open File Report 00-417, Coastal Marine Geology Program, US Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA, 2000.
planetek italia: ikonos, available at:
https://www.planetek.it/prodotti/tutti_i_prodotti/ikonos, last access: 6 February 2021.
R Core Team: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing R, Vienna, Austria, 2016.
Redfield, A. C.: Development of a New England salt marsh, Ecol. Monogr., 42,
201–237, https://doi.org/10.2307/1942263, 1972.
Reed, D. J.: Sediment dynamics and deposition in a retreating coastal salt
marsh, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 26, 67–79, https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7714(88)90012-1, 1988.
Reed, D. J., Spencer, T., Murray, A. L., French, J. R., and Leonard, L.:
Marsh surface sediment deposition and the role of tidal creeks: implications
for created and managed coastal marshes, J. Coast. Conserv., 5, 81–90,
https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02802742, 1999.
Reitsma, J. M.: Toelichting Bij de Vegetatiekartering Westerschelde 2004 op
Basis Vanfalse Colour-Luchtfoto's
Rijkswaterstaat: Open data Rijkswaterstaat, available at:
https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/zakelijk/open-data, last access: 6 February 2021.
Rinaldo, A., Fagherazzi, S., Lanzoni, S., Marani, M., and Dietrich, W. E.:
Tidal networks: 2. Watershed delineation and comparative network morphology,
Water Resour. Res., 35, 3905–3917, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999wr900237, 1999a.
Rinaldo, A., Fagherazzi, S., Lanzoni, S., Marani, M., and Dietrich, W. E.:
Tidal networks: 3. Landscape-forming discharges and studies in empirical
geomorphic relationships, Water Resour. Res., 35, 3919–3929,
https://doi.org/10.1029/1999wr900238, 1999b.
Roner, M., D'Alpaos, A., Ghinassi, M., Marani, M., Silvestri, S., Franceschinis, E., and Realdon, N.: Spatial variation of salt-marsh organic
and inorganic deposition and organic carbon accumulation: inferences from the Venice Lagoon, Italy, Adv. Water Resour., 93, 276–287,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2015.11.011, 2016.
Sarretta, A., Pillon, S., Molinaroli, E., Guerzoni, S., and Fontolan, G.:
Sediment budget in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy, Cont. Shelf Res., 30, 934–949, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2009.07.002, 2010.
Scheffer, M. and Carpenter, S. R.: Catastrophic regime shifts in ecosystems:
linking theory to observation, Trends Ecol. Evol., 18, 648–656,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2003.09.002, 2003.
Scheffer, M., Carpenter, S., Foley, J. A., Folke, C., and Walker, B.:
Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems, Nature, 413, 591–596, https://doi.org/10.1038/35098000, 2001.
Schepers, L., Kirwan, M., Guntenspergen, G., and Temmerman, S.: Spatio-temporal development of vegetation die-off in a submerging coastal
marsh, Limnol. Oceanogr., 62, 137–150, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10381, 2017.
Silliman, B. R.: Drought, snails, and large-scale die-off of Southern U.S. salt marshes, Science, 310, 1803–1806, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1118229, 2005.
Silvestri, S., Defina, A., and Marani, M.: Tidal regime, salinity and salt
marsh plant zonation, Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci., 62, 119–130,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2004.08.010, 2005.
Stevenson, J. C., Kearney, M. S., and Pendleton, E. C.: Sedimentation and
erosion in a Chesapeake Bay brackish marsh system, Mar. Geol., 67, 213–235,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(85)90093-3, 1985.
Temmerman, S. and Kirwan, M. L.: Building land with a rising sea, Science,
349, 588–589, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac8312, 2015.
Temmerman, S., Govers, G., Meire, P., and Wartel, S.: Modelling long-term
tidal marsh growth under changing tidal conditions and suspended sediment
concentrations, Scheldt estuary, Belgium, Mar. Geol., 193, 151–169,
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-3227(02)00642-4, 2003a.
Temmerman, S., Govers, G., Wartel, S., and Meire, P.: Spatial and temporal factors controlling short-term sedimentation in a salt and freshwater tidal
marsh, Scheldt estuary, Belgium, SW Netherlands, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 28, 739–755, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.495, 2003b.
Temmerman, S., Govers, G., Meire, P., and Wartel, S.: Simulating the long-term development of levee–basin topography on tidal marshes,
Geomorphology, 63, 39–55, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.03.004, 2004.
Temmerman, S., Moonen, P., Schoelynck, J., Govers, G., and Bouma, T. J.: Impact of vegetation die-off on spatial flow patterns over a tidal marsh,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L03406, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gl050502, 2012.
Temmerman, S., Meire, P., Bouma, T. J., Herman, P. M. J., Ysebaert, T., and
De Vriend, H. J.: Ecosystem-based coastal defence in the face of global change, Nature, 504, 79–83, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12859, 2013.
Tommasini, L., Carniello, L., Ghinassi, M., Roner, M., and D'Alpaos, A.:
Changes in the wind-wave field and related salt-marsh lateral erosion: inferences from the evolution of the Venice Lagoon in the last four centuries, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 44, 1633–1646, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4599, 2019.
Turner, R. E. and Rao, Y. S.: Relationships between wetland fragmentation
and recent hydrologic changes in a deltaic coast, Estuaries, 13, 272–281,
https://doi.org/10.2307/1351918, 1990.
Ursino, N., Silvestri, S., and Marani, M.: Subsurface flow and vegetation
patterns in tidal environments, Water Resour. Res., 40, 191–201,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2003wr002702, 2004.
USGS: EarthExplorer, available at: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/, last access: 6 February 2021.
van Belzen, J., van de Koppel, J., Kirwan, M. L., van der Wal, D., Herman, P. M. J., Dakos, V., Kéfi, S., Scheffer, M., Guntenspergen, G. R., and Bouma, T. J.: Vegetation recovery in tidal marshes reveals critical slowing
down under increased inundation, Nat. Commun., 8, 15811, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15811, 2017.
van Damme, S., Struyf, E., Maris, T., Ysebaert, T., Dehairs, F., Tackx, M.,
Heip, C., and Meire, P.: Spatial and temporal patterns of water quality along the estuarine salinity gradient of the Scheldt estuary (Belgium and The Netherlands): results of an integrated monitoring approach, Hydrobiologia, 540, 29–45, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-7102-2, 2005.
Vandenbruwaene, W., Temmerman, S., Bouma, T. J., Klaassen, P. C., de Vries,
M. B., Callaghan, D. P., van Steeg, P., Dekker, F., van Duren, L. A., Martini, E., Balke, T., Biermans, G., Schoelynck, J., and Meire, P.: Flow
interaction with dynamic vegetation patches: implications for biogeomorphic
evolution of a tidal landscape, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 116, 155–170, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010jf001788, 2011.
Vandenbruwaene, W., Bouma, T. J., Meire, P., and Temmerman, S.: Bio-geomorphic effects on tidal channel evolution: impact of vegetation
establishment and tidal prism change, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 38, 122–132, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3265, 2013.
van der Pluijm, A. M. and de Jong, D. J.: Historisch Overzicht Schorareaal
in Zuid-West Nederland, Report Werkdocument RIKZ/OS-98.860 x, Rijkswaterstaat –Rijksinstituut voor Kust en Zee, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 1998.
van Wesenbeeck, B. K., van de Koppel, J., Herman, P. M. J., Bertness, M. D.,
van der Wal, D., Bakker, J. P., and Bouma, T. J.: Potential for sudden shifts in transient systems: distinguishing between local and landscape-scale processes, Ecosystems, 11, 1133–1141, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9184-6, 2008.
Venier, C., D'Alpaos, A., and Marani, M.: Evaluation of sediment properties
using wind and turbidity observations in the shallow tidal areas of the Venice Lagoon, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 119, 1604–1616, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013jf003019, 2014.
Wamsley, T. V., Cialone, M. A., Smith, J. M., Atkinson, J. H., and Rosati, J. D.: The potential of wetlands in reducing storm surge, Ocean Eng., 37, 59–68, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2009.07.018, 2010.
Wang, C. and Temmerman, S.: Does biogeomorphic feedback lead to abrupt shifts between alternative landscape states? An empirical study on intertidal flats and marshes, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 118, 229–240, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012jf002474, 2013.
Wang, C., Menenti, M., Stoll, M. P., Feola, A., Belluco, E., and Marani, M.:
Separation of ground and low vegetation signatures in LiDAR measurements of
salt-marsh environments, IEEE T. Geosci. Remote, 47, 2014–2023,
https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2008.2010490, 2009.
Wilson, C. A., Hughes, Z. J., FitzGerald, D. M., Hopkinson, C. S., Valentine, V., and Kolker, A. S.: Saltmarsh pool and tidal creek morphodynamics: dynamic equilibrium of northern latitude saltmarshes?, Geomorphology, 213, 99–115, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.01.002, 2014.
Wilson, K. R., Kelley, J. T., Croitoru, A., Dionne, M., Belknap, D. F., and
Steneck, R.: Stratigraphic and ecophysical characterizations of salt pools:
dynamic landforms of the webhannet salt marsh, Wells, ME, USA, Estuar. Coasts, 32, 855–870, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9203-7, 2009.
Wilson, K. R., Kelley, J. T., Tanner, B. R., and Belknap, D. F.: Probing the
origins and stratigraphic signature of salt pools from north-temperate
marshes in Maine, U.S.A., J. Coast. Res., 26, 1007–1026,
https://doi.org/10.2112/jcoastres-d-10-00007.1, 2010.
Yang, S. L., Shi, B. W., Bouma, T. J., Ysebaert, T., and Luo, X. X.: Wave
attenuation at a salt marsh margin: a case study of an exposed coast on the
yangtze estuary, Estuar. Coasts, 35, 169–182, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-011-9424-4, 2012.
Zaggia, L. and Ferla, M.: Studies on water and suspended sediment transport
at the Venice Lagoon inlets, in: Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium WAVES, 3–7 July 2005, Madrid, Spain, 1–10, 2005.
Zirino, A., Elwany, H., Neira, C., Maicu, F., Mendoza, G., and Levin, L. A.:
Salinity and its variability in the Lagoon of Venice, 2000–2009, Adv. Oceanogr. Limnol., 5, 41–59, https://doi.org/10.4081/aiol.2014.5350, 2014.
Short summary
Coastal marshes are valuable natural habitats with normally dense vegetation. The presence of bare patches is a symptom of habitat degradation. We found that the occurrence of bare patches and regrowth of vegetation is related to spatial variations in soil surface elevation and to the distance and connectivity to tidal creeks. These relations are similar in three marshes at very different geographical locations. Our results may help nature managers to conserve and restore coastal marshes.
Coastal marshes are valuable natural habitats with normally dense vegetation. The presence of...
