Application of change detection techniques in geomorphological evolution of coastal areas. Example: Mouth of the River Ebro (period 1957–2013)

Ramírez-Cuesta, Juan Miguel; Rodríguez-Santalla, Inmaculada; Prieto, Francisco Javier Gracia; García, María José Sánchez; Barrio-Parra, Fernando

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2016.07.015

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In the deltaic fringe, sediments from eroding stretches are long-shore transported to feed accreting ones but strong erosion rates (exceeding 20 m/ year) in the mouth area are not compensated from upstream sediment supplies and hence constitute an important factor driving vulnerability to RSLR (Sánchez-Arcilla et al, 1998). For instance, the Ebro River mouth, one of the most affected areas by erosive coastal processes, has experienced a shoreline recession of over 2500 m and about 3.9 km 2 over the last century (Palanques and Guillén, 1998;Ramírez-Cuesta et al, 2016).…”

Section: Effects Of Tidal Range and Accretion Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Besides, straw addition is seasonally conducted by local farmers prior to the beginning of each growing season and other management options such as a sediment by-pass from the dammed area to lower stretches of the river could be also possible (Ibáñez et al 1997(Ibáñez et al , 2010. In a more realistic scenario, SLAMM would also take into account the lack of riverine sediments (Ramírez-Cuesta et al, 2016) and the interplay with other input parameters such as tidal amplitude and local winds, to compute overall losses in surface area.…”

Section: Limitations Of the Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, deltas are seriously threatened by sediment deficit due to dam construction and impoundment, leading to land loss due to coastal erosion and enhanced subsidence during the last 50 to 60 years (e.g., approx. 3.9 km 2 of the surface of the Ebro River mouth; Ramírez-Cuesta et al, 2016, and 20% of the Indus delta plain; Giosan et al, 2014). Besides, their location within or near the range of daily tides expose them to climate change impacts from accelerating rates of Sea Level Rise (SLR) (Ericson et al, 2006), and are likely to be inundated by the end of the century (Syvitski et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pristine vs. human-altered Ebro Delta habitats display contrasting resilience to RSLR

Prado¹,

Alcaraz²,

Benito

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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River deltas are ecologically and economically valuable coastal ecosystems but low elevations make them extremely sensitive to relative sea level rise (RSLR), i.e. the combined effects of sea level rise and subsidence. Most deltas are subjected to extensive human exploitation, which has altered the habitat composition, connectivity and geomorphology of deltaic landscapes. In the Ebro Delta, extensive wetland reclamation for rice cultivation over the last 150 years has resulted in the loss of 65% of the natural habitats. Here, we compare the dynamics of habitat shifts under two departure conditions (a simulated pristine delta vs. the human-altered delta) using the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) under the 4.5 and 8.5 RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) scenarios for evaluating their resilience to RSLR (i.e. resistance to inundation). Results showed lower inundation rates in the human delta (10 to 22% by the end of the century, depending on RCP conditions), mostly due to 4.5 times lower initial extension of coastal lagoons compared to the pristine delta. Yet, inundation rates from 15 to 30% of the total surface represent the worst possible human scenario, assuming no flooding protection measures. Besides, accretion rates within rice fields are disregarded since this option is not available in SLAMM for developed dry land. In the human delta, rice fields were largely shifted to other wetland habitats and experienced the highest reductions, mostly because of their larger surface. In contrast, in the pristine delta most of the habitats showed significant decreases by 2100 (2 to 32% of the surface). Coastal infrastructures (dykes or flood protection dunes) and reintroduction of riverine sediments through irrigation channels are proposed to minimize impacts of RSLR. In the worst RCP scenarios, promoting preservation of natural habitats by transforming unproductive rice fields into wetlands could be the most sustainable option.

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Section: Effects Of Tidal Range and Accretion Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limitations Of the Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pristine vs. human-altered Ebro Delta habitats display contrasting resilience to RSLR

Prado¹,

Alcaraz²,

Benito

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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“…In fact, this area has recorded the most drastic geomorphologic changes in recent decades. Winds blowing from the NW are much stronger and generate a wind-driven littoral drift current flowing to the South, although the limited fetch generates not very energetic waves [20]. The Ebro Delta has a microtidal regime, characterized by maximum astronomical and meteorological tides of 0.25 m and 1 m, respectively [21].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability Analysis of the Riumar Dune Field in El Garxal Coastal Wetland (Ebro Delta, Spain)

Rodríguez-Santalla

Díez-Martínez

Navarro

2021

JMSE

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The aim of this work is to apply a vulnerability index in the dune field located in the Riumar urban zone at the mouth of the Ebro River. This dune field represents the natural barrier of the El Garxal coastal lagoon system. The index used integrates the dimensions of exposure, susceptibility, and resilience from the analysis of 19 variables. The results obtained show moderate susceptibility and high resilience, which are in line with the behavior of this dune field during the last sea storms (Gloria in January 2020 and Philomena in January 2021, among others) that have tested the capacity of this system to cope with the effects of these storms. Therefore, increasing the knowledge of the factors affecting the vulnerability of the dunes can be helpful in the management and conservation of these coastal environments.

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“…There are very few studies that have investigated a relationship between land cover, wetland change, and metrics that describe the physical geography of a location. Other than erosion/accretion related to shoreline change and area of coastal features [60][61][62], most studies do not holistically investigate changing coastal riverine dynamics and land cover change. Therefore, one of the main contributions of this research was to investigate these metrics to see if there is a pattern and to measure the spatial and statistical relationships among several characteristics through time.…”

Section: Compare Land Cover Change and Physical Geography Characterismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Multi-Decadal Investigation of Tidal Creek Wetland Changes, Water Level Rise, and Ghost Forests

Magolan

Halls

2020

Remote Sensing

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Coastal wetlands play a vital role in protecting coastlines, which makes the loss of forested and emergent wetlands devastating for vulnerable coastal communities. Tidal creeks are relatively small hydrologic areas that feed into larger estuaries, are on the front lines of the interface between saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, and are potentially the first areas to experience changes in sea level. The goal of this study was to investigate wetland changes through time at two tidal creeks (Smith Creek and Town Creek) of the Cape Fear River estuary in southeastern North Carolina, USA, to determine if there is a spatial relationship between habitat change, physical geography characteristics, and the rate of wetland migration upstream. Historic aerial photography and recent satellite imagery were used to map land cover and compute change through time and were compared with derived physical geography metrics (sinuosity, creek width, floodplain width, floodplain elevation, and creek slope). The primary results were: (1) there was a net gain in emergent wetlands even accounting for the area of wetlands that became water, (2) wetlands have migrated upstream at an increasing rate through time, (3) land cover change was significantly different between the two creeks (P = 0.01) where 14% (67.5 ha) of Smith Creek and 18% (272.3 ha) of Town Creek transitioned from forest to emergent wetland, and (4) the transition from emergent wetland to water was significantly related to average change in creek width, floodplain elevation, and average water level. In conclusion, this research correlated habitat change with rising water level and identified similarities and differences between neighboring tidal creeks. Future research could apply the methodologies developed here to other coastal locations to further explore the relationships between tides, sea level, land cover change, and physical geography characteristics.The coastal counties surrounding the Cape Fear River have experienced a large increase in urban population where, from 1970 to 2010, New Hanover County experienced a 144% increase in population and Brunswick County a 343% increase [24]. With population growth, and the potential loss of natural areas including forested wetlands, there is an increased coastal vulnerability to storm surge inundation and pluvial flooding. To investigate land cover change under increasing tidal range, relative sea-level rise, and urban development, two tidal creeks of the Cape Fear River estuary, Smith Creek (34.257029, -77.929373) and Town Creek (34.135822, -78.001620) were investigated in this study (Figure 1). Town Creek, 33 km from the mouth of the Cape Fear River, is characterized by expansive wetlands, and is very long for a tidal creek at 53 km [25]. Further upstream, 18 km from Town Creek, is Smith Creek which is much shorter in length (17 km) and is surrounded by urban development. While Smith Creek and Town Creek have notable differences, these creeks were chosen because: (1) they are in close proximity, which is good for compari...

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Application of change detection techniques in geomorphological evolution of coastal areas. Example: Mouth of the River Ebro (period 1957–2013)

Cited by 18 publications

References 38 publications

Pristine vs. human-altered Ebro Delta habitats display contrasting resilience to RSLR

Pristine vs. human-altered Ebro Delta habitats display contrasting resilience to RSLR

Vulnerability Analysis of the Riumar Dune Field in El Garxal Coastal Wetland (Ebro Delta, Spain)

A Multi-Decadal Investigation of Tidal Creek Wetland Changes, Water Level Rise, and Ghost Forests

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