Natural levee evolution in the Rhine-Meuse delta, the Netherlands, during the first millennium CE

This paper presents reconstructions on natural levee development in the Rhine-Meuse delta, the Netherlands, during the first millennium CE, covering the full delta plain. It is the first study that performs this on a delta scale, which allows seeing the delta-wide trends on levee-forming controls and their feedbacks. We mapped the levee...

Lithological, grain-size and architectural trends in the holocene Rhine-Meuse delta-insights from 3D voxel models

TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands systematically produces 3D voxel models for answering subsurface related questions. The unique combination of vast amounts of borehole data and the voxelbased approach makes the models valuable new sources for exploring the Quaternary fluvial record. The latest generation of 3D voxel models (GeoTOP)...

Organic-facies determination: A key for understanding facies distribution in the basal peat layer of the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands

Peat and gyttja (organic lake sediment) are important indicators for past environmental conditions; they form in areas where the supply of clastic sediment is insufficient to fill the accommodation space. Previous studies of delta sediments, however, have focused mainly on clastic deposits, whereas organics have received only minimal attention....

Spatial and temporal distribution of sand-containing basin fills in the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta, the Netherlands

The quantitative significance of coarse-grained deposits in the overbank realm, such as crevasse-splay deposits, has not been studied at the delta scale or at the Holocene timescale. Such knowledge would be beneficial for understanding and explaining sediment distribution in delta plains. This study addresses delta-scale distribution of sand...

River flooding and landscape changes impact ecological conditions of a scour hole lake in the Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands

A 400-year sediment record from an 18 m deep scour hole lake (Haarsteegse Wiel) near the Meuse River in the Netherlands was investigated for past changes in water quality, flooding frequency and landscape change using geophysical, geochemical and micropaleontological information. The results are highly significant for determining long-term...

Development of a mid-Holocene estuarine basin, Rhine-Meuse mouth area, offshore The Netherlands

A proper understanding of coastal development during periods of rapid sea-level rise is a prerequisite for the prediction of future coastal response to the expected acceleration in sea-level rise. However, the development of back-barrier basins, especially in river-mouth areas, during such periods is still not well understood. Here we show the...

Characterization of the reactivity of riverine heterogeneous sediments using a facies-based approach; the Rhine-Meuse delta (The Netherlands)

Large groundwater resources are found in densely populated lowland areas, which consist often of young unconsolidated and reduced sediments. When anthropogenic activities lead to oxygenation of the aquifer, breakdown of the main reduced fractions, i.e. sedimentary organic matter (SOM) and pyrite, could lead to severe groundwater deterioration...

Sedimentary architecture and optical dating of Middle and Late Pleistocene Rhine-Meuse deposits - Fluvial response to climate change, sea-level fluctuation and glaciation

Eight continuous corings in the west-central Netherlands show a 15 to 25 m thick stacked sequence of sandy to gravelly channel-belt deposits of the Rhine-Meuse system. This succession of fluvial sediments was deposited under net subsiding conditions in the southern part of the North Sea Basin and documents the response of the Rhine-Meuse river...