Delta Growth Research Articles

Origin and evolution of interdistributary delta plains; insights from Mekong River delta

The geometry of river deltas is considered to refl ect the interplay of coastal processes, river discharge, and sediment supply. As ~25% of the world’s population lives on deltaic lowlands, prediction of delta growth is critical. Knowledge of processes responsible for delta geometries is not well established, although such knowledge is critical for the risk management of land use and settlements on deltas. The Mekong River delta of southern Vietnam is one of the largest deltas in the world and offers a unique opportunity to understand the sedimentary evolution of mixed tide- and wave-dominated large river deltas. We constrained the three-dimensional sedimentary evolution of the delta plains, based on optically stimulated luminescence dating of beach ridges coupled with radiocarbon-dated sediment cores. Results show that the beach shoreline in the lower delta plain initiated ca. 3.5 ka by aggradation on basement shoals. The delta plain propagated laterally during the late Holocene, evolving from bars that resulted in asymmetric bifurcation of the river mouth. Asymmetry was caused by the southwestward longshore sediment drift enhanced by the winter monsoon. Bars were successively formed on the wider side of the bifurcated river mouths, and subsequently accreted seaward, being stabilized by tide effects to result in shore-perpendicular elongate delta plains. Our work, based on the Mekong delta, demonstrates for the fi rst time that bar emergence is a key process in the long-term evolution of mixed tide- and wave-dominated deltas.

Early growth stage of a large delta — Transformation from estuarine-platform to deltaic-progradational conditions (the northeastern Mekong River Delta, Vietnam)

The initial growth stage of a river delta can be defined either as the beginning geomorphologic expansion of the river-dominated coastal lowland or as the starting basinward-directed progradation of the geological/stratigraphic delta body. Differentiating between these two perspectives is necessary for understanding the sensitive reaction of a deltaic system to dynamic changes in sea-level and sediment availability. The Holocene evolution of the northeastern part of the Mekong River delta (Southern Vietnam) offers a great chance to depict these two different definitions and relate them genetically to each other since the transition between an old abrasion platform (inner delta) and the continental-shelf basin (outer delta) is well developed in this marginal part of the delta.The early stage of delta growth taking place during transgression-related inundation between 8calkaBP (maximum flooding) and 5.7 (6.0–4.8) calkaBP (sea-level highstand) was characterized by tide-and saltwater-influenced nearshore conditions allowing extensive mangrove and tidal-flat deposits to aggradate on the wide abrasion platform. With the onset of regression around 4.8calkaBP the depositional center shifted immediately beyond the seaward margin of this estuarine platform and thus true deltaic progradation could develop leading to rapid construction of a delta body (and, in addition, to subsidence/tilting of the inner delta zone). Directly at the transition of these two deposystems, remains of shore-related deposits indicate the sudden breakdown of the estuarine platform conditions around 4.6calkaBP.

Early steroid withdrawal in pediatric renal transplant: five years of follow-up

This prospective, comparative trial investigated the impact on mean change in height standard deviation score (SDS), acute rejection rate, and renal function of early steroid withdrawal in 96 recipients with 5 years of follow-up. Recipients under basiliximab induction and steroid withdrawal (SW: TAC/MMF; n = 55) were compared with a matched steroid control group (SC: TAC/MMF/STEROID, n = 41). SW received steroids until Day 6, SC decreased to 10 mg/m(2) within 2 months post-transplant. Five years after SW, the longitudinal growth (SDS) gain was 1.4 ± 0.4 vs. 1.1 ± 0.3 for SC group (p < 0.02). Height benefits in prepubertal and pubertal status in both groups were demonstrated in the delta growth trends (mixed model; p < 0.01). Biopsy-proven acute rejection in SW was 11% and 17.5%, SC (p: ns). Mean eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m(2)) at 5 years post-transplant was SW 80.6 ± 27.8 vs. 82.6 ± 25.1 for SC (p: ns). The death-censored graft survival rate at 1 and 5 years was 99 and 90% for SW; 98 and 96% for SC (p = ns). PTLD incidence in SW 3.3 vs. 2.5% in SC (p: ns). Five years post-transplant, early steroid withdrawal showed positive impacts on growth, stable renal function without increased acute rejection risk, and PTLD incidence.

Quantitative metrics that describe river deltas and their channel networks

[1] Densely populated river deltas are losing land at an alarming rate and to successfully restore these environments we must understand the details of their morphology. Toward this end we present a set of five metrics that describe delta morphology: (1) the fractal dimension, (2) the distribution of island sizes, (3) the nearest-edge distance, (4) a synthetic distribution of sediment fluxes at the shoreline, and (5) the nourishment area. The nearest-edge distance is the shortest distance to channelized or unchannelized water from a given location on the delta and is analogous to the inverse of drainage density in tributary networks. The nourishment area is the downstream delta area supplied by the sediment coming through a given channel cross section and is analogous to catchment area in tributary networks. As a first step, we apply these metrics to four relatively simple, fluvially dominated delta networks. For all these deltas, the average nearest-edge distances are remarkably constant moving down delta suggesting that the network organizes itself to maintain a consistent distance to the nearest channel. Nourishment area distributions can be predicted from a river mouth bar model of delta growth, and also scale with the width of the channel and with the length of the longest channel, analogous to Hack's law for drainage basins. The four delta channel networks are fractal, but power laws and scale invariance appear to be less pervasive than in tributary networks. Thus, deltas may occupy an advantageous middle ground between complete similarity and complete dissimilarity, where morphologic differences indicate different behavior.

On the Relationship Between Sea Level and Spartina alterniflora Production

A positive relationship between interannual sea level and plant growth is thought to stabilize many coastal landforms responding to accelerating rates of sea level rise. Numerical models of delta growth, tidal channel network evolution, and ecosystem resilience incorporate a hump-shaped relationship between inundation and plant primary production, where vegetation growth increases with sea level up to an optimum water depth or inundation frequency. In contrast, we use decade-long measurements of Spartina alterniflora biomass in seven coastal Virginia (USA) marshes to demonstrate that interannual sea level is rarely a primary determinant of vegetation growth. Although we find tepid support for a hump-shaped relationship between aboveground production and inundation when marshes of different elevation are considered, our results suggest that marshes high in the intertidal zone and low in relief are unresponsive to sea level fluctuations. We suggest existing models are unable to capture the behavior of wetlands in these portions of the landscape, and may underestimate their vulnerability to sea level rise because sea level rise will not be accompanied by enhanced plant growth and resultant sediment accumulation.

Pleistocene to Holocene transition in the central basin of the Gulf of Thailand, based on geoacoustic survey and radiocarbon ages

Record of the Last Glacial Maximum and postglacial sea-level rise in the central Gulf of Thailand, some 140 km offshore of the Malay Peninsula, was studied along a NW-striking section (water depth 55–82 m below the present MSL) by means of geoacoustic surveys, shallow gravity coring, and radiocarbon dating. The record comprises evidence of valley incision followed by estuarine to marine transgression, which was interrupted by deltaic progradation. The valley incision and delta formation are attributed to the Kelantan River draining the Malay Peninsula. The delta growth was halted at 10.4 cal kyr BP by transgressive ravinement followed by emplacement of a thin, condensed mantle of modern marine muds. Such age is compatible with the fast but diachronous nature of this transgressive event that, according to previous estimates, began in the central Sunda Shelf at 11–11.5 cal kyr BP and reached the head of the Thailand Bay at 8–7 cal kyr BP. The presence of deltaic deposits within postglacial transgressive systems tract is uncommon on extremely wide and accommodation-dominated shelves (such as the Sunda Shelf), and is here interpreted to reflect a combination of decelerating sea-level rise (13–10 cal kyr BP) with increased precipitation and sediment yield, coupled with the reactive nature of the Kelantan River catchment.

Delta allometry: Growth laws for river deltas

Under projected scenarios of sea‐level rise, subsidence, and sediment starvation many deltas around the world are expected to drown. Delta growth dynamics, which determine the ability of a delta to adapt to these changes, are poorly understood due to the difficulty of measuring change in slowly evolving landscapes. We use time‐series imagery of experimental, numerical, and field‐scale deltas to derive four laws that govern the growth of river‐dominated deltas. Land area grows at a constant rate in the absence of relative sea level change, while wetted area keeps pace, maintaining a constant wetted fraction over the delta surface. Scaling of edge‐lengths versus areas suggests delta shorelines are nonfractal, even though the channel network is fractal. Consequently channel‐edge length, which provides critical habitat, grows more rapidly than delta area. These laws provide a blueprint for delta growth that will aid in delta restoration and help predict how existing deltas will evolve.

A model of sedimentary delta growth: a novel application of numerical heat transfer methods

PurposeUnderstanding the factors that contribute to the growth of sediment delta lobes in river systems has significant benefit towards protecting civil and social infrastructure from severe weather events. To develop this understanding, this paper aims to construct a three‐dimensional numerical model of a sediment delta depositing on to a two‐dimensional bedrock basement entering an ocean at a constant sea‐level.Design/methodology/approachThe approach used adapts and applies techniques and schemes previously used in building numerical heat transfer models of melting systems. Particular emphasis is placed on modifying fixed grid enthalpy like schemes.FindingsThe resulting model provides important insight on the features that control the partition of sediment delta deposition between the land and ocean domains. The model also illustrates how tectonic subsidence may control the rate of delta growth.Originality/valueThis is the first numerical heat transfer inspired model of a three‐dimensional sediment delta deposit over both land and ocean domains. The problem has scientific merit in that it represents a melting‐like moving boundary problem with two distinct moving boundaries and a space/time dependent latent heat. Further, this work is a necessary first step towards building a comprehensive understanding of how to restore delta systems to protect civil and social infrastructure.

Flood-tide Delta Morphological Change at the Gippsland Lakes Artificial Entrance, Australia (1889–2009)

Analysis of historical survey and navigation charts, aerial imagery, and digital hydro-data (representing a time-series of 1889–2009) allows the morphological evolution of a flood-tide delta at the artificial entrance to the Gippsland Lakes (Victoria, Australia) to be visualised and quantified. Analysis shows that flood-tide delta growth has imposed progressively greater demands upon port managers for publicly funded maintenance dredging. This flood-tide delta growth corresponds with a progressive diminution of Gippsland Lakes catchment river discharge volumes, and dampening of flow variability, due to both regional precipitation pattern changes and changes in catchment water resource allocation. Future climate change predictions for the Gippsland Lakes catchment and coastal area suggest both further decreases in catchment river discharge, and changing sediment flux along this sector of the Ninety Mile Beach. Thus, scope for flood-tide delta nourishment will probably increase, as will the demand for mitigation of the inevitable effects upon entrance channel navigability. Information derived from the analysis of time-series bathymetry used for this study offers baseline information in support of stakeholder consensus building regarding options for maintaining navigability. Analysis points to the merit of considering (and testing via morphological modelling) alternative options for navigation channel maintenance than those in present practice. We argue that the circumstances prevailing at the artificial entrance call for consideration of engineered configuration changes practised elsewhere by entrance managers faced with similar issues.

Flood Management in Bangladesh: Traditional and Integrated Approach

At the present time 130 million people of Bangladesh are facing a series of environmental problems. The people are repeatedly confronted by natural and human-made catastrophes such as flooding, surface and groundwater pollution, droughts, cyclones, riverbank erosion, air pollution, wetland loss, tornadoes, earthquakes, and coastal erosion. While some of these environmental degradations and calamities are not directly related to human activities and land-use practices (such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and cyclones), others are related to human interactions with the nature. Flooding is one water-related environmental problem that is directly related to human activities. The magnitude and intensity of flooding are very much dependent on land-use practices in the watershed of each rivers or streams. Bangladesh is faced with yet another flood this year. Finding solutions to the flooding problem is imperative. It is important to understand the processes that influence flooding in Bangladesh, before any solution to the flooding problem is prescribed.Riverine floods occur when the amount of runoff originating in a watershed (the area that collects and directs the surface runoff into the rivers, streams and lakes that drain it) exceeds the carrying capacity of natural and constructed drainage system. Flooding can occur due to river overflow or surface runoff. There are two types of floods which occur in Bangladesh: annual floods (barsha) that inundate up to 20% of the land area; and low frequency floods of high magnitude that inundate more than 35% of the area (bonna). While the annual floods are essential and desirable for overall growth of the Bangladesh delta and the economy, the major floods such as those that occurred in 1954, 1955, 1974, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007 are destructive and cause serious threat to lives and economy. We need to analyze possible underlying causes of recent unusual and frequent floods in Bangladesh in light of hydrodynamic processes that operate in the watershed and the land use practices that take place in this region.

A model of sedimentary delta growth: A novel application of numerical heat transfer methods.

A model of sedimentary delta growth: A novel application of numerical heat transfer methods.

Investigating fault shadows in the Niger Delta

The stratigraphic evolution of the Niger Delta is dominated by a continuous stepwise progradation occurring during a major tertiary regressive phase that continues to the present. The successive phases of the delta growth form transient depobelts that are bounded by mega-structural growth faults.

Influence of steady base‐level rise on channel mobility, shoreline migration, and scaling properties of a cohesive experimental delta

Here we describe results from an alluvial delta physical experiment with and without steady base‐level rise. Using a unique cohesive sediment mixture that promotes the development of persistent channels and a rugose shoreline, we quantitatively characterize channel network properties as a function of base‐level rise in a distributary system that reproduces many aspects of the geometry of natural deltas. Analysis of the experimental data shows clear dynamical differences between the predominantly progadational and aggradational phases of the experiment. The experiment was conducted in two phases: a first in which the delta prograded into standing water of constant depth in the absence of base‐level rise and a second during which steady base‐level rise was imposed on the system, forcing a twofold increase in topset aggradation due to greater sediment retention in the fluvial reach. The shift in sediment mass balance to enhanced fluvial deposition in the second phase caused channel network mobility to increase, reducing the autogenic channel time scale from 23.5 to 12.5 h and supporting a positive correlation between deposition and channel avulsion frequency. An independent shoreline time scale that characterizes the dominant time over which shoreline regression is persistent closely correlates with measurements of the channel network (28.3 h during fan progradation and 9.5 h during fan aggradation). These metrics suggest a strong coupling between channel network and shoreline kinematics and a more active fluvial surface during fan aggradation by a factor of 2 to 3, similar to the increase in aggradation rate. Spatial scaling of shoreline roughness reveals that maximum shoreline variability is set by the scale of distributary lobes. Strong coupling exists between delta growth and shoreline geometry during progradation. During aggradation, however, shoreline variability is not solely due to distributary lobe growth but is also set by shoreline transgression over inactive portions of the delta, illustrating a decoupling between fan kinematics and fan geometry. This decoupling, together with the matched increase in channel network mobility and fluvial aggradation, suggest the stratigraphic architecture may not be a strong geometric signal of different fluvial surface conditions either.

Simulation of birdfoot delta formation with application to the Mississippi Delta

Recently, Seybold et al. (2007) proposed a reduced complexity model which simulates the process of delta formation on geological time scales. It includes subaerial and subaqueous growth in a three‐dimensional framework. In this paper we apply this model to the formation of a river‐dominated delta and compare the model dynamics with observations of the formation of the Balize Lobe of the Mississippi River Delta. The model generates both subaerial and subaqueous channels and lateral levee formations as well as a profile morphology with steep drop‐offs and a flat delta surface which is similar to natural ones. We show that the dimensionless parameters of the model may be consistently rescaled to match the Balize Lobe. This means that after rescaling the water flows, the subaerial geometry and time, the deposited (subaqueous) lobe volume, the sediment and water flows, the age, as well as the sediment capture ratio match the observed data. Finally, we use detrended fluctuation analysis to show that the modeled long‐term dynamics of the delta formation process shows a complex temporal correlation structure. A characteristic time scale separates periods of consistent delta growth by gradual sediment deposition at the mouths of distributary channels from periods during which random large‐scale channel avulsions lead to rapid change and the formation of new channels and subaqueous‐dominated deposition.

Escherichia coli K-12 Suppressor-free Mutants Lacking Early Glycosyltransferases and Late Acyltransferases : MINIMAL LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE STRUCTURE AND INDUCTION OF ENVELOPE STRESS RESPONSE

To elucidate the minimal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure needed for the viability of Escherichia coli, suppressor-free strains lacking either the 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid transferase waaA gene or derivatives of the heptosyltransferase I waaC deletion with lack of one or all late acyltransferases (lpxL/M/P) and/or various outer membrane biogenesis factors were constructed. Delta(waaC lpxL lpxM lpxP) and waaA mutants exhibited highly attenuated growth, whereas simultaneous deletion of waaC and surA was lethal. Analyses of LPS of suppressor-free waaA mutants grown at 21 degrees C, besides showing accumulation of free lipid IV(A) precursor, also revealed the presence of its pentaacylated and hexaacylated derivatives, indicating in vivo late acylation can occur without Kdo. In contrast, LPS of Delta(waaC lpxL lpxM lpxP) strains showed primarily Kdo(2)-lipid IV(A), indicating that these minimal LPS structures are sufficient to support growth of E. coli under slow-growth conditions at 21/23 degrees C. These lipid IV(A) derivatives could be modified biosynthetically by phosphoethanolamine, but not by 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose, indicating export defects of such minimal LPS. DeltawaaA and Delta(waaC lpxL lpxM lpxP) exhibited cell-division defects with a decrease in the levels of FtsZ and OMP-folding factor PpiD. These mutations led to strong constitutive additive induction of envelope responsive CpxR/A and sigma(E) signal transduction pathways. Delta(lpxL lpxM lpxP) mutant, with intact waaC, synthesized tetraacylated lipid A and constitutively incorporated a third Kdo in growth medium inducing synthesis of P-EtN and l-Ara4N. Overexpression of msbA restored growth of Delta(lpxL lpxM lpxP) under fast-growing conditions, but only partially that of the Delta(waaC lpxL lpxM lpxP) mutant. This suppression could be alleviated by overexpression of certain mutant msbA alleles or the single-copy chromosomal MsbA-498V variant in the vicinity of Walker-box II.

Conceptual framework for assessing the response of delta channel networks to Holocene sea level rise

Recent research has identified two fundamental unit processes that build delta distributary channels. The first is mouth-bar deposition at the shoreline and subsequent channel bifurcation, which is driven by progradation of the shoreline; the second is avulsion to a new channel, a result of aggradation of the delta topset. The former creates relatively small, branching networks such as Wax Lake Delta; the latter generates relatively few, long distributaries such as the Mississippi and Atchafalaya channels on the Mississippi Delta. The relative rate of progradation to aggradation, and hence the creation of accommodation space, emerges as a controlling parameter on channel network form. Field and experimental research has identified sea level as the dominant control on Holocene delta growth worldwide, and has empirically linked channel network changes to changes in the rate of sea level rise. Here I outline a simple modeling framework for distributary network evolution, and use this to explore large-scale changes in Holocene channel pattern that have been observed in deltas such as the Rhine-Meuse and Mississippi. Rapid early- to mid-Holocene sea level rise forced many deltas into an aggradational mode, where I hypothesize that avulsion and the generation of large-scale branches should dominate. Slowing of sea level rise in the last ∼6000 yr allowed partitioning of sediment into progradation, facilitating the growth of smaller-scale distributary trees at the shorelines of some deltas, and a reduction in the number of large-scale branches. Significant antecedent topography modulates delta response; the filling of large incised valleys, for example, caused many deltas to bypass the aggradational phase. Human effects on deltas can be cast in terms of geologic controls affecting accommodation: constriction of channels forces rapid local progradation and mouth-bar bifurcation, while accelerated sea level rise increases aggradation and induces more frequent channel avulsion.

Coupled barrier island–resort model: 2. Tests and predictions along Ocean City and Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland

The fate of coastlines and their human settlements under the effects of global climate change will depend critically on the nonlinear dynamics of and feedbacks between shoreline processes and human agency. This hypothesis is explored on the barrier island coastline of Ocean City and Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland, using a model‐coupling natural coastal processes, including erosion, accretion, island overwash, alongshore sediment transport, dune growth and migration, inlet migration and ebb tidal delta growth to economics of tourist resort development through storm damage and beach and dune replenishment. Initiating the model in 1845, the RMS difference between model and measurements of the shoreline position in 2001 is 84.97 m compared to a net onshore migration of 472.2 m and the RMS difference between modeled and measured hotel room density in 2001 is 2950 rooms km−1 compared to a net gain of 28,824 rooms km−1. Simulations to year 3400 for a rate of sea level rise of 3.5 mm a−1 show a steady state barrier island position 158 m further offshore and 0.54 m lower in elevation compared to its natural counterpart. Changing the rate of sea level rise to 10.5 mm a−1 increases these differences to 288 m and 0.76 m. Changing storminess by increasing the standard deviation of storm size 50% diminishes coupling between resorts and barriers, bringing the natural and coupled attractors into near coincidence. These results suggest that predicted increases in the rate of sea level rise will lead to enhanced vulnerability for Ocean City.

Quaternary Sedimentation in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Adjoining Areas, Eastern Canada: An Overview Based on High-Resolution Seismo-Stratigraphy

The regional Quaternary seismo-stratigraphy of NW Gulf of St. Lawrence, based on 5700 line km of high resolution seismic reflection profiles, is described. The Quaternary sequence can be locally missing or can exceed 1.3 km in thickness. Five major stratigraphic units are recognized, which vary in their character and distribution so that at any location a variety of bedrock types may be overlain by a distinctive Quaternary sequence. These units relate to the advance and retreat of the Late Wisconsinan Ice Sheet. We interpret these units as: Unit 1, recording the presence of grounded glacial ice, including ice-loaded and ice-deposited sediments. Unit 2, ice-proximal coarse-grained sediment deposited either as a thin, conformable layer during the rapid retreat of an ice terminus, or as a wedge-shaped fan marking the position of an ice front still stand. Unit 3, ice-distal fine-grained sediment deposited from meltwater plumes at times of elevated sea levels and rapidly ablating sea ice. Unit 4, paraglacial deltaic sediment marking the melting of terrestrially-based ice caps, and the concommittant growth of deltas, rapidly prograding into a seaway undergoing rapidly falling sea levels. Unit 5, postglacial sediment reflecting the winnowing of shallow areas and deposition of organic-rich mud in deep basins, under modern sea level and océanographie conditions. A conceptual model dealing with the deposition of sediment associated with the withdrawal of a continental ice sheet is developed. The model includes the dynamics associated with the initial ice advance, terminal ice dynamics, retreat of the ice terminus, stable ice-fronts during the recessional phase, ice sheets ablating on land, and postglacial sedimentation under conditions of fluctuating sea levels.

Impact of the Holocene Transgression on the Atlantic Coastline of Nova Scotia

As analogs for impact of a future sea-level rise on the coast of Nova Scotia (eastern Canada), geological data and information on relative sea-level changes are examined at three different time scales. Relative sea level rose swiftly during the early Holocene, at a maximum rate of 11 m/ka at 7500 radiocarbon years BP. Freshwater, salt-marsh, and estuarine sediments that formed during this period have been located on the inner shelf. After 5000 BP the rate slackened to about 2 m/ka. Despite overall submergence and coastal retreat since that time, gravel barriers have persisted where large amounts of sediment have been added to the littoral system by erosion of glacial deposits. The barriers often display evidence of early progradational phases in the form of gravel beach ridges, partly or wholly submerged in lagoons behind contemporary storm beaches. Tide-gauge data from the past century show submergence rates averaging 3.5 mm/a, well in excess of the longterm trend. The response of the coastline to this rapid rise is complex. Unconsolidated cliffs (bluffs) retreat at up to 5 m/a during initial exposure to wave attack and during extreme storm events, but at lesser rates (&lt;0.5 m/a) as protective beaches, lag shoals or boulder frames accumulate at the base of the cliffs. Beach retreat rates are sometimes very high (&gt;8 m/a) in some locations, but low elsewhere, in some cases showing almost no movement over the past 10 years, and neighbouring beaches are sometimes observed to behave in completely different ways. Sediment released by coastal erosion finds its way into nearby estuaries, causing growth of flood-tidal deltas and marsh aggradation. If a global rise in sea level occurs, the processes of erosion and sedimentation operating along the coast of Nova Scotia during the Holocene are expected to continue in a similar fashion, but rates of change will increase at many locations.

Holocene Palaeogeographies of the Eastern Acheloos River Delta and the Lagoon of Etoliko (NW Greece)

Abstract The eastern Acheloos River delta and the Lagoon of Etoliko have undergone broad environmental changes since the mid-Holocene. In this study, sedimentological, geochemical, geophysical, micromorphological, computer tomographical, micro- and macrofaunal, and archaeobotanical methods were applied to determine lateral and vertical facies patterns of near-coast geological archives. We present the stratigraphic sequences of 13 vibracores and one 9-m-long sediment core from the Lagoon of Etoliko. Geochronology was based on 28 radiocarbon dates. Sea-level fluctuations were detected by means of sedimentological sea-level markers. The relative sea level rose from 12.70 m below sea level (b.s.l.) at 6150 cal BC to 7.90 m b.s.l. by 4750 cal BC and 2.60 m b.s.l. by 500 cal BC. The maximum rate of rise occurred until 5550 cal BC, and the lowest, between Helladic and Byzantine times. Delta growth clearly increased after the relative sea-level rise decelerated around 5500 cal BC. Palaeogeographical maps for diff...