Sediment Transfer Research Articles

Micro-Scale isotopic analysis of ice facies frozen from supercooled water

ABSTRACTSubglacial glaciohydraulic supercooling can form basal ice and affect glacier dynamics, sediment transfer and geomorphology. Whilst isotopic analysis (δ18O-δD) of basal ice has demonstrated the significance of supercooling, questions remain as to what extent the identification of supercooling depends on sampling resolution. We conducted laboratory experiments in which ice was frozen from supercooled water and sampled at a micro-scale (1.5 millilitre) to identify highly localized variations in isotopic compositions that might be lost in bulk-scale sampling. Three distinctive ice facies produced by the freezing process demonstrated diagnostic isotopic signatures that were distinguished when the facies were sampled independently. However, their respective isotopic signatures were lost when bulk-scale sampling combined the two facies, demonstrating the requirement of micro-scale sampling when identifying supercooling in basal ice facies. These findings indicate that sampling for isotopic compositions of ice facies frozen from supercooled water should be conducted at a scale that prevents the amalgamation of different facies to highlight a detailed isotopic signature. We conclude that micro-scale sampling is imperative to understanding and quantifying this subglacial process.

Glacial conditioning and paraglacial sediment reworking in Glen Croe (the Rest and be Thankful), western Scotland

Glen Croe, located near the western edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, is a well-known landslide hazard site in Scotland. Debris flows have repeatedly closed the A83 Rest and be Thankful road that passes through the valley, and considerable investment has been directed towards hazard risk reduction. However, little research has focused on the former glaciation and paraglacial response that have played an important role in governing current landscape processes at the site. This paper addresses the knowledge gap by investigating the glacial processes that have shaped and conditioned Glen Croe, and pathways that have characterised subsequent paraglacial sediment transfer. The large-scale valley form results from watershed breaching and interaction between glacier erosion and paraglacial rock slope failures. The distribution of thick glacigenic sediment is conditioned by deposition at former lateral ice margins, which was influenced by topography. Sediment reworking has resulted in accumulation of debris cones and alluvial fans in the upper part of the catchment, and growth of a delta at the outlet. Spatial connectivity mapping supports an interpretation whereby upper Glen Croe is poorly connected to the valley outlet, influencing sediment storage. In contrast, slopes in the lower part of Glen Croe are well connected. Sediment distribution in Glen Croe fits within the context of glaciated valley and paraglacial landsystems, allowing an understanding of sources and transport pathways. In upland infrastructure corridors this type of information is potentially helpful for understanding how landscapes might be affected by renewed sediment reworking under altered threshold conditions.

Medium-Term Longshore and Cross-shore Dynamics of a Gravel Spit Driving by Storm Events (Sillon de Talbert, Brittany, France)

Suanez, S.; Stéphan, P.; Fichaut, B.; Ammann, J., and Accensi, M., 2020. Medium-term morphological changes of a gravel spit driving by storm events (Sillon de Talbert, Brittany, France). In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 669-673. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The Sillon de Talbert (Northern coast of Brittany) is a large 3.5 km-long swash-aligned gravel spit comprising a volume of sediment of 1.23x106 m3. Since 2002, a morphodynamic survey based on annual DEMs, and waves and water level measurements and/or modeling, has been carried out. The 17-year (2002-2019) monitoring program shows that cross-shore sediment transfers reaching 430,000 m3 are dominant, while the longshore sediment transfer -through cannibalization process- is about 52,000 m3. The maximum landward displacement of the spit due to rollover processes reaches –4 m.yr-1. Storm events control more than 95% of this retreat due to catastrophic overwash/inundation processes that led to the opening of a breach in March 2018. The morphological evolution of the Sillon de Talbert is driven by anthropogenic forcing (i.e., impact of coastal defence structures, cutting off of longshore sediment transport), and natural forcing such as the depletion of the supply of sediment from the platform.

Applying Directional Filters to Satellite Imagery for the Assessment of Tropical Cyclone Impacts on Atoll Islands

Volto, N. and Duvat, V.K.E., 2020. Applying directional filters to satellite imagery for the assessment of tropical cyclone impacts on Atoll Islands. Journal of Coastal Research, 36(4), 732–740. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This paper highlights the major insights provided by directional filters using ENVI® software for detecting and mapping cyclone-generated accretional features and analyzing postcyclone sediment reworking. It relies on the study of the impacts of category 5 tropical cyclone Fantala (April 2016) on Farquhar Atoll, Seychelles Islands. Using directional filters first allowed the detecting and mapping of terrestrial (sediment sheets, sediment lobes) and intertidal (shingle and rubble tongues, sediment sheets, sandbars) depositional features. It also helped with highlighting spatial-temporal variations in the postcyclone reorganization of reef flat deposits. One year after the cyclone, along the rectilinear shoreline of elongate islands (i.e. North Island and South Island), massive reef-to-island sediment transfer had already caused the dismantling of cyclone-generated features and beach readjustment; however, in places, newly formed cyclone features exhibited limited dismantling. In contrast, at the island tips, the reworking of postcyclone sediment deposits was still ongoing, explaining still rather limited beach readjustment. The results advocate for the use of remote sensing techniques that complement fieldwork and multidate shoreline change assessment to promote more comprehensive analyses of tropical cyclones' impacts.

Modelling and Terrestrial Laser Scanning Methodology (2009–2018) on Debris Cones in Temperate High Mountains

Debris cones are a very common landform in temperate high mountains. They are the most representative examples of the periglacial and nival processes. This work studies the dynamic behavior of two debris cones (Cone A and Cone B) in the Picos de Europa, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Their evolution was measured uninterruptedly throughout each August for 10 years (2009–2018) using the Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technique. The observations and calculations of the two debris cones were treated independently, but both showed the same behavior. Therefore, if these results are extrapolated to other debris cones in similar environments (temperate high mountain), they should show behavior similar to that of the two debris cones analyzed. Material falls onto the cones from the walls, and transfer of sediments follows linear trajectories according to the maximum slope. In order to understand the linear evolution of the two debris cones, profiles were created along the maximum slope lines of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of 2009, and these profile lines were extrapolated to the remaining years of measurement. In order to determine volumetric surface behavior in the DEMs, each year for the period 2009–2018 was compared. In addition, the statistical predictive value for position (Z) in year 2018 was calculated for the same planimetric position (X,Y) throughout the profiles of maximum slopes. To do so, the real field data from 2009–2017 were interpolated and used to form a sample of curves. These curves are interpreted as the realization of a functional random variable that can be predicted using statistical techniques. The predictive curve obtained was compared with the 2018 field data. The results of both coordinates (Z), the real field data, and the statistical data are coherent within the margin of error of the data collection.

Integrated analysis of sediment source areas in an Alpine basin

In Alpine environment, studying the evolution of sediment mobility from hillslopes to lower landforms and channel network is a challenging task, mainly due to the complex interplay of erosion and colluvial processes, topographic features and climatic conditions. The combination of direct field surveys and digital terrain models can provide a good opportunity to accurately investigate the sediment delivery processes and improve the understanding of geomorphic sediment cascade. The main aim of this work is to analyze sediment dynamics in sediment source areas of an Alpine basin (Rio Cordon catchment, 5 km2), integrating techniques that are usually applied separately: sediment tracing with Passive Integrated Transponders (PITs) and DEM of Difference (DoD). Additionally, the relationship between rainfall characteristics and sediment source behavior was analyzed. Sediment transfer through source areas and the geomorphic evolution of those areas were analyzed by field investigations between October 2017 and September 2018. Specifically, eleven source areas with five different typologies were investigated by installing 268 tracers to analyze sediment mobility along hillslopes. The source areas and the tracers’ displacements monitoring was carried out after snowmelt (late May 2018) and periodically during Summer 2018 (July, August and September. To investigate the geomorphic changes in source areas, high-resolution DEMs (0.05 m cell) were derived with a Structure from Motion (SfM) technique in two different periods, after snowmelt in early June 2018 and in the following September; the collection of these data permitted computation of DoDs. To analyze the rainfall characteristics, five rain gauging stations were used. Rainfall analysis revealed that three different events exceeded the threshold of a two-year recurrence interval for different durations, which in turn were considered to be triggering events for each monitored period. The tracers exhibited an interesting mobility rate (37.7%) with different dynamics for source typologies, while geomorphic evolution computed with DoDs showed consistent changes mainly in debris-flow channels and debris-flow deposits. The rainfall intensity resulted as a variable controlling the sediment mobility through the source areas, while the integration of the two methodologies highlighted how mobilized tracers originate mainly from erosional surfaces. The research provides a detailed analysis of hillslope dynamics in the surveyed area, providing increased knowledge regarding the delivery processes that act on sediment sources and better interpretations of sediment mobility in Alpine environments.

Upstream migrating knickpoints and related sedimentary processes in a submarine canyon from a rare 20-year morphobathymetric time-lapse (Capbreton submarine canyon, Bay of Biscay, France)

The Capbreton submarine canyon is a striking feature of the south-east of the Bay of Biscay. This canyon forms a deep incision through the continental shelf and slope, and displays remarkable structures linked to its present-day hydrosedimentary activity. Its head has been disconnected from the Adour River since 1310 CE, but remains close enough to the coast to be supplied with sediment by longshore drift. Gravity processes in the canyon body are abundantly described and documented, but activity in the head and the fan of the canyon is poorly constrained. Furthermore, many questions remain regarding the details of processes affecting the head, the body and the fan of the Capbreton canyon. In this work, we address the paucity of documentation concerning (1) the temporal evolution of sediment transfer between the head and the deep reaches of the canyon, and (2) the interaction between gravity processes and the morphology of the canyon floor, including both shaping and feedback mechanisms.This study is based on the analysis and comparison of eight multibeam bathymetric surveys acquired in the upper part of the Capbreton canyon between 1998 and 2018, in depths ranging 10–320 m below sea level. This rare time series exposes the morphological evolution of this outstanding dynamic area over the last 20 years. Our work shows that much of the changes are located in the canyon floor and head. Following a period characterized by a unique flat floor thalweg, the canyon was affected by an incision with low lateral terraces which resulted in a narrow axial thalweg. The deepening of the narrow thalweg was induced by retrogressive erosion according to the presence of upstream-migrating knickpoints, while low elevation residual terraces formed as the canyon reached a local equilibrium profile.The flat thalweg observed in 1998 is likely a result of a partial filling of the canyon thalweg by a substantial emptying of the canyon head and significant mass transfer to the proximal part of the canyon. A flat floor thalweg was not observed again in the remaining of our time series (since 2010), suggesting a possible quieter working mode of the canyon. We also propose the first accurate volume quantification of sediment displacement on the canyon floor. Our findings underline the alternation of filling and erosive periods in the canyon axis and an unexpected continuous sediment deposition in the canyon head during the last 20 years.

Controls On Deep-Water Sand Delivery Beyond the Shelf Edge: Accommodation, Sediment Supply, and Deltaic Process Regime

ABSTRACT Stratigraphic models typically predict accumulation of deep-water sands where coeval shelf-edge deltas are developed in reduced-accommodation and/or high-sediment-supply settings. On seismic data, these relationships are commonly investigated on a small number of clinothems, with a limited control on their lateral variability. Advanced full-volume seismic interpretation methods now offer the opportunity to identify high-order (i.e., 4th to 5th) seismic sequences (i.e., clinothems) and to evaluate the controls on shelf-to-basin sediment transfer mechanisms and deep-water sand accumulation at these high-frequency scales. This study focuses on the Lower Barrow Group (LBG), a shelf margin that prograded in the Northern Carnarvon Basin (North West Shelf, Australia) during the Early Cretaceous. Thanks to high-resolution 3D seismic data, 30 clinothems (average time span of ∼ 47,000 years) from the D. lobispinosum interval (142.3–140.9 Ma) are used to establish quantitative and statistical relationships between the shelf-margin architecture, paleoshoreline processes, and deep-water system types (i.e., quantitative 3D seismic stratigraphy). The results confirm that low values of rate of accommodation/rate of sediment supply (δA/δS) conditions on the shelf are associated with sediment bypass, whereas high δA/δS conditions are linked to increasing sediment storage on the shelf. However, coastal process regimes at the shelf edge play a more important role in the behavior of deep-water sand delivery. Fluvial-dominated coastlines are typically associated with steep slope gradients and more mature, longer run-out turbidite systems. In contrast, wave-dominated shorelines are linked to gentle slope gradients, with limited development of turbidite systems (except rare sheet sands and mass-transport deposits), where longshore drift currents contributed to shelf-margin accretion through the formation of extensive strandplains. In this context, reduced volumes of sand were transported offshore and mud belts were accumulated locally. This study highlights that variations from fluvial- to wave-dominated systems can result in significant lateral changes in shelf-margin architecture (i.e., slope gradient) and impact the coeval development of deep-water systems (i.e., architectural maturity). By integrating advanced tools in seismic interpretation, quantitative 3D seismic stratigraphy represents a novel approach in assessing at high resolution the controls on deep-water sand delivery, and potentially predicting the type and location of reservoirs in deep water based on the shelf-margin architecture and depositional process regime.

A catchment scale assessment of patterns and controls of historic 2D river planform adjustment

The supply, transfer and deposition of sediment from channel headwaters to lowland sinks, is a fundamental process governing upland catchment geomorphology, and can begin to be understood by quantifying 2D river planform adjustments over time. This paper presents a catchment scale methodology to quantify historic patterns of 2D channel planform adjustment and considers geomorphic controls on 2D river stability. The methodology is applied to 18 rivers (total length = 24 km) in the upland headwaters of the previously glaciated Wasdale catchment (45 km2), Lake District, northwest England. Planform adjustments were mapped from historic maps and air photographs over six contiguous time windows covering the last 150 yr. A total of 1048 adjustment and stable reaches were mapped. Over the full period of analysis (1860–2010) 32% (8 km) of the channels studied were adjusting. Contrasts were identified between the geomorphic characteristics (slope, catchment area, unit specific stream power, channel width and valley bottom width) of adjusting and stable reaches. The majority of adjustments mapped were observed in third and fourth order channels in the floodplain valley transfer zone, where the channels were laterally unconfined (mean valley bottom widths of 230 ± 180 m), with low sediment continuity. In contrast, lower order channels were typically confined (mean valley bottom widths of 31 ± 43 m) and showed relative 2D lateral stability. Hence, valley bottom width was found to be important in determining the available space for rivers to adjust. Over the full period of analysis 38% of planform adjustments involved combined processes, for example, as bar and bend adjustments. The study demonstrates the importance of stream network hierarchy in determining spatial patterns of historic planform adjustments at the catchment scale. The methodology developed provides a quantitative assessment of planform adjustment patterns and geomorphic controls, which is needed to support the prioritisation of future river management and restoration.

Inferring sediment transfers and functional connectivity of rivers from repeat topographic surveys

AbstractHigh‐resolution topographic models have revolutionized monitoring of river changes by comparing sequential river topographic surveys (i.e. change detection). Nevertheless, much more may be obtained from this innovative quantification of changes. In this paper, we enhance the interpretation of geomorphic processes by presenting a new method for understanding of sources and sinks of sediment, river sediment transfers and functional sediment connectivity. Repeat digital elevation models (DEMs) obtained by photogrammetry were used to quantify topographic change after two floods by creating a DEM of difference (DoD) of a 6.5 km‐long reach of Rambla de la Viuda stream, an ephemeral gravel‐bed river in eastern Spain. The proposed method involved dividing the channel into 10 m‐long longitudinal strips that were used to systematically draw boundaries between the erosional and depositional areas of the DoD. The analysis objectively: (i) drew a series of erosional and depositional segments, from 120 to 1360 m in length; (ii) estimated ranges of source‐to‐storage sediment transport distances, 320–670 m in the upstream and middle reaches and up to 2030 m in the lower reach; and (iii) obtained values of functional connectivity (i.e. the ratio between the sediment exported (erosion) and retained (deposition), ranging from 103 to 10−3). The variability in these three parameters along the river was found to be related to the level of channel disturbance by in‐stream mining during the 1990s and 2000s. Additionally, this method indicates that the main process responsible for self‐adjustment of the present morphosedimentary conditions is intra‐reach erosion of banks and channel beds. Thus, this study proposes a new methodology to characterize morphological change, sediment transfer and connectivity that may serve as environmental indicators of the hydromorphological integrity of rivers with potential application to the European Water Framework Directive. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterizing soil piping networks in loess‐derived soils using ground‐penetrating radar

AbstractSoil piping remains a relatively unexplored phenomenon despite its substantial impacts on water and sediment transfer at the watershed scale at numerous locations around the world. One of the main limitations regarding the study of this singular process is the characterization of the pipe networks (in terms of number, position, dimensions, and connectivity of pipes). In this context, noninvasive subsurface imaging using ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) has proven to be a promising technique. This study used two three‐dimensional (3D), high‐resolution GPR surveys performed in loess‐derived soils to characterize small pipe networks with little prior information about their location. The adopted methodology relies on high spatial resolution scanning, 3D subsurface imaging, and automated detection of reflection hyperbolas using a 200‐MHz center‐frequency antenna. Two small watersheds affected by piping were investigated at Sippenaeken and Kluisbergen (Belgium). Over the two scanned zones, results revealed significant subsurface continuous patterns. Even though the most obvious patterns corresponded to recent or past anthropic activities (e.g., artificial drainage pipes), validation tests confirmed that the chosen methodology can be used for pipe network characterization because some important continuity patterns were related to soil piping: for instance, a fairly small pipe (approximately 10–15 cm in diameter) was detected and validated for more than 100 m. Nevertheless, the high variability in size, depth, and orientation of the pipes imply that GPR may only be truly efficient when using very high spatial resolution scanning, which limits its application to specific conditions not always met in piped areas.

Complex coastal protective measures to protect the sandy beach

The environmental impact of the engineering project was taken into account when carrying out comprehensive studies of shore protection engineering measures for the Lazurnoye region of the Kherson region of Ukraine on the north-western coast of the Black Sea. The optimal configuration of hydrotechnical structures are choosen to protect the beach in the region of the incoming wave impact. The entire coastline of the Lazurnoye region is about 3000 meters. In the course of modelling and numerical experiments, the transfer of bottom sediments to the coast, the evolution of the coastline and beaches, and other coastal processes were studied. The project of comprehensive coastal protection of the Lazurnoye region, presented on the basis of mathematical and hydraulic modelling, has allowed the development of engineering solutions that meet coastal protection and environmental requirements. The most expedient variant of coastal protective measures was the creation of a system of the beachprotected structures capes from sections of the permeable slope-steps designs with wave damping chambers. The presented research results and the solution of many problems of the dynamics of the coastal zone of the sea can be considered as an attempt to manage coastal processes on rather large and complex sections of the coast with a joint solution to the problems of hydraulic engineering, management of water quality in the coastal zone of the sea, and the choice of optimal options with the least impact on the environment.

Remotely sensed rivers in the Anthropocene: state of the art and prospects

ABSTRACTThe rivers of the world are undergoing accelerated change in the Anthropocene, and need to be managed at much broader spatial and temporal scales than before. Fluvial remote sensing now offers a technical and methodological framework that can be deployed to monitor the processes at work and to assess the trajectories of rivers in the Anthropocene. In this paper, we review research investigating past, present and future fluvial corridor conditions and processes using remote sensing and we consider emerging challenges facing fluvial and riparian research. We introduce a suite of remote sensing methods designed to diagnose river changes at reach to regional scales. We then focus on identification of channel patterns and acting processes from satellite, airborne or ground acquisitions. These techniques range from grain scales to landform scales, and from real time scales to inter‐annual scales. We discuss how remote sensing data can now be coupled to catchment scale models that simulate sediment transfer within connected river networks. We also consider future opportunities in terms of datasets and other resources which are likely to impact river management and monitoring at the global scale. We conclude with a summary of challenges and prospects for remotely sensed rivers in the Anthropocene. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Grain Size and Pollen of Sediments in Wanghu Lake (Central China) Linked to Hydro-Environmental Changes

Grain size of lake sediments is often measured in paleolimnological studies, especially investigations of past paleoclimatic and paleohydrologic changes. The implications of such measures, however, remain unclear, since watershed hydrology and the related transfer of materials to the lake are affected by local climate variables, hydrological shifts, and vegetation cover variables. Sediment from Wanghu Lake in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River have apparently been affected by land cover changes and lake-river system transitions caused by a sluice gate built at Fuchi in 1967. These changes influenced the watershed hydrology, thereby confounding paleoclimatic and paleohydrologic interpretations by proxy records in sediment cores. We collected sediment cores from the center of Wanghu Lake and analyzed trends in pollen and physical properties through sedimentary records to investigate land cover changes and hydrological transitions during the past 90 years. The grain size of the sediment core increased with precipitation and the significant relationships between pollen and grain size after 1967 indicated that sediment transfer to the lake was controlled by rainfall and land cover changes due to human-induced deforestation and farming in the lake catchment. Interestingly before 1967, there was no significant relationship between the pollen and grain size or between the precipitation and grain size, indicating that the sediment of WanghuLake was not simply from the lake catchment. The different relationships patterns before and after 1967 indicated that the sediments in the lake were not only transported following precipitation and discharge from the lake catchment but also came from the Yangtze River draining back into the lake during the flood seasons before 1967. These results highlight matters needing attention and the potential application of grain size of sediments for reconstructions of past hydro-environmental changes.

Changes in sediment connectivity following glacial debuttressing in an Alpine valley system

Increasing air temperature and declining winter snowfalls are resulting in rapid glacier recession and the expansion of proglacial margins in Alpine regions. Such margins include substantial debris accumulations (e.g. frontal/lateral moraine ridges; till-covered and steep valley sidewalls) which may be unstable due to glacial debuttressing. Rainfall, snowmelt and ice melt out may then cause mass movements. Here, we quantify the decadal-scale erosion and deposition patterns and changes in connectivity for two valley sidewall geomorphological systems following retreat of the Glacier d'Otemma, Switzerland. We apply archival digital photogrammetric methods to the period 1964 to 2009 to determine high resolution digital elevation models. These were differenced to calculate patterns of erosion and deposition and to quantify the evolution of sediment connectivity. We found that gully headward erosion (rates between ca. −10.6 mm/year and −1002.1 mm/year) was the main geomorphological process during glacier thinning but increasing depositional rates downslope of the gullies (ca. +21.3 to +298.5 mm/year) were recorded in the following years associated with significant alluvial fan growth at the slope base. While gullying enhanced connectivity by removing glacially conditioned sediment transfer buffers, so connecting side-slopes to upstream sediment sinks (the upslope contributing area between 1964 and 2009 increased by +73.8% and +195.1% in each subsystem), alluvial fans reduced the rates of sediment transfer to the rapidly enlarging glacial forefields. The detail of these responses is conditioned by three generic processes: (1) the wider geomorphic setting – here, the presence of a moraine bastion as a primary part of the sediment cascade strongly influenced gully morphology evolution and the likely length of the paraglacial period length; (2) the thickness of sediment left by the retreating glacier which controlled the influence of bedrock topographic buffers on connectivity; and (3) the extent to which diffusive drainage systems develop in response to the deposition at the hillslope base, which tend to disconnect sediment flux. Post-glacially, gully development has a self-limiting effect on sediment connectivity in that while gullying increases sediment connectivity, the eroded sediment leads to deposition on the alluvial plain that reduces sediment connectivity.

Hydrologic-hydraulic modeling of sediment transport along the main stem of a watershed: role of tributaries and channel geometry

ABSTRACTCurrent estimations of sediment transport at the watershed scale are limited by the difficulty of accurately simulating the sediment transfer along the main stem. The typical approach to simulating watershed sediment transport involves the adoption of hydrologic sediment routing schemes that do not fully capture the contribution and timing of side tributaries, and the inclusion of a simplified channel geometry that does not include its hydraulic feedback. In this paper, we present the results of a coupled hydrologic-hydraulic model of sediment transport applied to a small watershed of Iowa. The model was developed to simulate both the hydrologic network and non-equilibrium sediment transport that occur during a flood. The model results highlight the importance of including side tributaries in order to capture a realistic duration of shear stress that ultimately affects sediment transport. Comparisons with bank erosion measurements indicate that the presented approach is also promising to estimate sediment sources along the main stem.

Subaquatic slope instabilities: The aftermath of river correction and artificial dumps in Lake Biel (Switzerland)

AbstractRiver engineering projects are developing rapidly across the globe, drastically modifying water courses and sediment transfer. Investigation of the impact of engineering works focuses usually on short‐term impacts, thus a longer‐term perspective is still missing on the effects that such projects have. The ‘Jura Water Corrections’ – the largest river engineering project ever undertaken in Switzerland – radically modified the hydrological system of Lake Biel in the 19th and 20th Century. The deviation of the Aare River into Lake Biel more than 140 years ago, in 1878, thus represents an ideal case study to investigate the long‐term sedimentological impacts of such large‐scale river rerouting. Sediment cores, along with new high‐resolution bathymetric and seismic reflection datasets were acquired in Lake Biel to document the consequences of the Jura Water Corrections on the sedimentation history of Lake Biel. Numerous subaquatic mass transport structures were detected on all of the slopes of the lake. Notably, a relatively large mass transport complex (0·86 km2) was observed on the eastern shore, along the path of the Aare River intrusion. The large amount of sediment delivered by the Aare River since its deviation into the lake likely caused sediment overloading resulting in subaquatic mass transport. Alternatively, the dumping since 1963 in a subaquatic landfill of material excavated during the second phase of river engineering, when the channels flowing into and out of Lake Biel were widened and deepened, might have triggered the largest mass transport, dated to 1964 or 1965. Additional potential triggers include two nearby small earthquakes in 1964 and 1965 (MW 3·9 and 3·2, respectively). The data for this study indicate that relatively large mass transports have become recurrent in Lake Biel following the deviation of the Aare River, thus modifying hazard frequency for the neighbouring communities and infrastructure.

To be allochthonous or autochthonous? The late Paleocene–late Eocene slope sedimentary succession of the Latium–Abruzzi carbonate platform (Central Apennines, Italy)

Margins, slopes, and toe-of-slopes represent regions of sediment transfer and bypass from shallow-water settings to the basin. They are zones of sediment flux triggered by different types of physical process including sediment-gravity flows, storm-driven currents, unidirectional currents, and oscillatory flows. As a consequence, they are zones where sediment can be remobilized and strongly reworked from inner environments to offshore settings and deposited as a mixture of autochthonous/allochthonous sediments. In the Monte La Serra and Monte Torretta (Central Apennines) lower-to-upper Eocene reworked sedimentary succession, two main facies associations are differentiated on textural characteristics and tested for robustness by hierarchical cluster analysis: a grain-supported (packstone-to-grainstone) facies FA1 and a mud-supported (mudstone-to-wackestone) facies FA2. The outcrops allow investigation of the transition zone between the margin of the Latium–Abruzzi platform and the adjoining basin and especially the identification of the carbonate factories that supplied the sediment to the slope zone of the Latium–Abruzzi platform. During the Paleogene, this platform was a shaved isolated platform under the action of waves, with sediment deposition during the transgressive and highstand phases of sea level, and erosion of this material during a subsequent lowstand phase. During these phases, storm-driven currents acted on the carbonate platform, remobilizing, resuspending, and reworking sediments. The remobilized material was transferred from the inner platform on to the slope, generating a mixture of detrital shallow- and deep-water biotic assemblages and depositing autochthonous/allochthonous units mainly constituted by alveolinids, large rotaliids, hooked gypsinids, nummulitids, and orthophragmines (discocyclinids and orbitoclypeids) assemblages. This mixture of shallow- and deep-water biotic assemblages demonstrates that a systematic study of the provenance of carbonate-producing biota, even if they are not preserved in their original context, can be useful in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the original carbonate factory system.

Fluvial and Eolian Sediment Mixing During Changing Climate Conditions Recorded in Holocene Andean Foreland Deposits From Argentina (31–33°S)

Continental drainage systems archive complex records of rock uplift, source area relief, precipitation, glaciation, and carbon cyclicity driven largely by tectonics and climate. Significant progress has been made in linking such external environmental forcings to the geomorphic expression of landscapes and the stratigraphic record of depositional basins in coastal and offshore areas. However, there are large uncertainties in the degree to which sediment dispersal processes can modify signals between the erosional sources and the depositional sinks. We investigate a Holocene sediment transfer zone with contrasting fluvial and eolian sediment transport mechanisms to understand how river and wind processes impact the propagation of environmental signals in continental-scale drainage systems. To quantify these processes, we employ sediment fingerprinting methods for unconsolidated sand samples (detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology), incorporate sediment mixing models, and correlate the findings with the regional geologic and geomorphic framework. Three contrasting source regions deliver sediment to the Andean foreland: volcanic rocks of the Frontal Cordillera, sedimentary rocks of the Precordillera, and metamorphic basement of the Sierras Pampeanas. Although all samples of Holocene eolian dunes accurately record sediment input from three fluvial source regions, spatial variations in U-Pb results are consistent with north-directed paleowinds, whereby river sediments from Frontal Cordillera sources are transported northward and progressively mixed with river sediments from Precordillera and Sierras Pampeanas sources. In contrast, samples of modern rivers show progressive southward (downstream) mixing along a large axial fluvial system. Sediment mixing induced by eolian transport and reworking of various sources is likely a critical, climate-modulated process in the propagation of environmental signals, potentially involving the aliasing of tectonic signals, local storage and recycling of synorogenic river sediment, and cyclical patterns of sediment starvation and delivery to distal zones of accumulation.

Coastal to offshore submarine channel sediment transport system: Savary Island, British Columbia, Canada

Multibeam bathymetry, coupled with seismic reflection profiles and sediment cores, was collected to understand the sediment process mechanisms for active onshore-offshore sediment transfer system from coastal erosion to nearshore transfer of sediment into a submarine channel and fan system. Savary Island in the northern Salish Sea of British Columbia, Canada, emerged immediately after deglaciation and became exposed to winter storms that began a continual modification of the island. Subsequent to coastal erosion, sediments are moved from the south side of the island, by strong tidal currents and longshore drift, to the island’s north side. The mobilized sands are then entrained into and swept down submarine channels during gravity flows, likely a response to enhanced hydrodynamic tidal flow. Downslope progradation within the channels is primarily a result of downslope migrating submarine dunes that transfer sand to small submarine fans. Further transport beyond the channels into the deeper basin occurs via turbidity flows that have been active throughout the late Holocene. The prospect for Savary Island is grim, as this sediment transfer system will likely continue until the island disappears altogether.