COASTAL DYNAMICS AND VULNERABILITY OF RIVER DELTAS
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2015/2016
- Teacher
- EDWARD ANTHONY
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- GEO/04
Training objectives
- River deltas are low-lying accumulations of sediment that develop where river mouths prograde. Of low topography, they are commonly of high productivity, with potentially rich and biodiverse ecosystems, and may offer a wide range of ecosystem services such as coastal defence, drinking water supply, recreation, green tourism, and nature conservation.
The course will delve into the processes associated with deltas, which exhibit virtually all types of coastal sub-environments.
The course will provide knowledge on river deltas and how they are linked to adjacent coastal and shelf systems. The knowledge gained from the course will be useful to an understanding of how deltas are becoming increasing vulnerable and which management options are needed to ensure delta sustainability.
The student will develop skills on:
• Capability of describing the morphodynamics of deltas
• An understanding of the processes acting on deltaic systems
• The capacity to observe the processes acting on coastal deltas with competent judgment to understand that interacting coastal processes and man-made actions are linked
• To learn about management of deltaic areas Prerequisites
- Knowledge of basic coastal processes and hydrodynamics, sedimentology, geomorphology,
The course is given in English, and the student must have a good grounding of the language. Course programme
- Course programme (number of hours of lectures)
• Introduction to river deltas (5 hours): definitions, context, classifications, functions.
• River delta environments (5 hours): geology, geomorphology, hydrology.
• River deltas and the coastal sediment budget (5 hours) – fluvial and coastal sediment sources, fluxes, sinks.
• River deltas and their links to adjacent coastal and shelf systems (5 hours).
• Methodological approaches in river delta studies (emphasising the trans-disciplinary character essential to the study of deltas): field exploration, modelling, remote sensing (4 hours).
• Hydrodynamic and morphosedimentary functioning of deltas based on the wave-, tide- and river-dominated process classification (4 hours).
• Geomorphic evolution of river deltas based on channel dynamics, aggradation and progradation (4 hours).
• River delta vulnerability: sources and causes (4 hours).
• River delta management: coupled geomorphic-social-ecological systems (4 hours).
• River deltas and global change, sea-level rise, engineering approaches, resilience (4 hours)
• The future of the world’s river deltas (4 hours). Didactic methods
- Slides of classes of theoretical concepts are provided (in English) as well as suggested reading lists.
Preparation of a written essay Learning assessment procedures
- Written examination in English aimed at testing the student's analytical skills in understanding coastal processes and delta dynamics. Test based on multiple choice questions or brief open questions.
Preparation of a written essay on a topic of the course related to delta protection. The essay can be written in English or French. Reference texts
- Anthony, E.J., 2013. Deltas. In: Masselink, G., Gehrels, R. (eds.), Coastal Environments: Dynamics, Climate Change and Management. Wiley-Springer, pp. 299-337. [A very recent and all-round review of deltas]
Anthony, E.J., 2015. Wave influence in the construction, shaping and destruction of river deltas: A review. Marine Geology, 361, 53-78. [A very recent review of the role of waves in delta growth and destruction].
Anthony, E.J., Marriner, N., Morhange, C., 2014. Human influence and the changing geomorphology of Mediterranean deltas and coasts over the last 6000 years: from progradation to destruction phase? Earth-Science Reviews, 139, 336-361. [A very recent review of the development and evolution of Mediterranean deltas, especially under the influence of Humans].
Evans, G., 2012. Deltas: the fertile dustbins of the world. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 123, 397–418. [A very recent review of deltas, especially from a geological point of view].
Masselink, G., Gehrels, R. (eds.), Coastal Environments: Dynamics, Climate Change and Management. Wiley-Springer. [A very recent collection of papers on coastal environments and processes, especially with regards to climate change and management perspectives].
Kuenzer, C., Renaud, F.G, 2012. Chapter 2. Climate and Environmental Change in River Deltas Globally: Expected Impacts, Resilience, and Adaptation. In: Renaud, F.G. and Kuenzer, C., (eds.), The Mekong Delta System: Interdisciplinary Analyses of a River Delta. Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands. [A useful analysis of the human dimension of deltas and their vulnerability to climate change].
Woodroffe, C.D. and Saito, Y., 2011. River-Dominated Coasts. In: Wolanski, E. and McLusky, D.S., (eds.), Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, Vol 3, pp. 117–135. Academic Press, Waltham, UK. [A fine and accessible presentation of deltas].
