Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta
© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603, doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017. The distinctive plan-view shape of the Ebro Delta coast reveals a rich morph...
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ftwhoas:oai:darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org:1912/9363 2023-05-15T17:36:05+02:00 Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta Nienhuis, Jaap H. Ashton, Andrew D. Kettner, Albert J. Giosan, Liviu 2017-09-25 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/9363 en_US eng Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/9363 doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 Attribution 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC-BY Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603 doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 Article 2017 ftwhoas https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 2022-05-28T23:00:02Z © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603, doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017. The distinctive plan-view shape of the Ebro Delta coast reveals a rich morphologic history. The degree to which the form and depositional history of the Ebro and other deltas represent autogenic (internal) dynamics or allogenic (external) forcing remains a prominent challenge for paleo-environmental reconstructions. Here we use simple coastal and fluvial morphodynamic models to quantify paleo-environmental changes affecting the Ebro Delta over the late Holocene. Our findings show that these models are able to broadly reproduce the Ebro Delta morphology, with simple fluvial and wave climate histories. Based on numerical model experiments and the preserved and modern shape of the Ebro Delta plain, we estimate that a phase of rapid shoreline progradation began approximately 2100 years BP, requiring approximately a doubling in coarse-grained fluvial sediment supply to the delta. River profile simulations suggest that an instantaneous and sustained increase in coarse-grained sediment supply to the delta requires a combined increase in both flood discharge and sediment supply from the drainage basin. The persistence of rapid delta progradation throughout the last 2100 years suggests an anthropogenic control on sediment supply and flood intensity. Using proxy records of the North Atlantic Oscillation, we do not find evidence that changes in wave climate aided this delta expansion. Our findings highlight how scenario-based investigations of deltaic systems using simple models can assist first-order quantitative paleo-environmental reconstructions, elucidating the effects of past human influence and climate change, and allowing a better understanding of the future of deltaic landforms. This study was supported by NSF grant EAR-0952146. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) Delta River ENVELOPE(-103.371,-103.371,78.769,78.769) Earth Surface Dynamics 5 3 585 603 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) |
op_collection_id |
ftwhoas |
language |
English |
description |
© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603, doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017. The distinctive plan-view shape of the Ebro Delta coast reveals a rich morphologic history. The degree to which the form and depositional history of the Ebro and other deltas represent autogenic (internal) dynamics or allogenic (external) forcing remains a prominent challenge for paleo-environmental reconstructions. Here we use simple coastal and fluvial morphodynamic models to quantify paleo-environmental changes affecting the Ebro Delta over the late Holocene. Our findings show that these models are able to broadly reproduce the Ebro Delta morphology, with simple fluvial and wave climate histories. Based on numerical model experiments and the preserved and modern shape of the Ebro Delta plain, we estimate that a phase of rapid shoreline progradation began approximately 2100 years BP, requiring approximately a doubling in coarse-grained fluvial sediment supply to the delta. River profile simulations suggest that an instantaneous and sustained increase in coarse-grained sediment supply to the delta requires a combined increase in both flood discharge and sediment supply from the drainage basin. The persistence of rapid delta progradation throughout the last 2100 years suggests an anthropogenic control on sediment supply and flood intensity. Using proxy records of the North Atlantic Oscillation, we do not find evidence that changes in wave climate aided this delta expansion. Our findings highlight how scenario-based investigations of deltaic systems using simple models can assist first-order quantitative paleo-environmental reconstructions, elucidating the effects of past human influence and climate change, and allowing a better understanding of the future of deltaic landforms. This study was supported by NSF grant EAR-0952146. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nienhuis, Jaap H. Ashton, Andrew D. Kettner, Albert J. Giosan, Liviu |
spellingShingle |
Nienhuis, Jaap H. Ashton, Andrew D. Kettner, Albert J. Giosan, Liviu Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta |
author_facet |
Nienhuis, Jaap H. Ashton, Andrew D. Kettner, Albert J. Giosan, Liviu |
author_sort |
Nienhuis, Jaap H. |
title |
Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta |
title_short |
Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta |
title_full |
Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta |
title_fullStr |
Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late Holocene evolution of the Ebro Delta |
title_sort |
large-scale coastal and fluvial models constrain the late holocene evolution of the ebro delta |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/9363 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-103.371,-103.371,78.769,78.769) |
geographic |
Delta River |
geographic_facet |
Delta River |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603 doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 Earth Surface Dynamics 5 (2017): 585-603 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/9363 doi:10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 |
op_rights |
Attribution 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-585-2017 |
container_title |
Earth Surface Dynamics |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
585 |
op_container_end_page |
603 |
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1766135448400297984 |