Quaternary Sedimentary Dynamics in Deltaic Systems

Quaternary deltaic systems record the interplay of rivers, waves and rising sea levels over the past 2.6 million years. These deltas typically comprise stacked channel belts, overbank fines and prodelta muds whose geometry and composition respond to glacial–interglacial shifts, tectonic subsidence and sediment supply from catchment areas. During lowstands, rivers incise alluvial plains and deliver coarse clastics to the shelf margin, whereas transgressive phases promote reworking of delta fronts and development of bioclastic facies. Deltaic avulsion, the rapid diversion of a channel onto a new course, shapes distributary networks and controls the preservation of floodplain muds. High‐resolution acoustic profiling, sediment cores and geotechnical probes together reveal how deltas aggrade, compact and deform in response to sediment loading, human interference and active tectonism. Understanding these processes is crucial for coastal hazard assessment, groundwater management and sustainable exploitation of subsurface resources in densely populated delta plains worldwide.

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Technical terms

Acoustic facies: distinct reflection patterns in sub-bottom seismic profiles that correspond to characteristic sedimentary textures and structures.

Channel belt: laterally extensive body of river‐deposited sand and gravel representing the active course of a braided or meandering river system.

Avulsion: the abrupt shift of a river channel from its existing bed to a new course across the floodplain, altering sediment dispersal.

Prodelta: the distal, fine‐grained mud accumulation beyond the delta front where suspended sediments settle in low-energy conditions.

Cone penetration test (CPTU): a geotechnical method in which a cone is pushed into the ground to measure resistance and pore-pressure, used here to infer subsurface facies variations.

References

1. Linking the high-resolution acoustic and sedimentary facies of a transgressed Late Quaternary alluvial plain (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic). Marine Geology (2020).
2. Trunk river and tributary interactions recorded in the Pleistocene–Holocene stratigraphy of the Po Plain (northern Italy). Sedimentology (2021).
3. Sedimentary facies characterization through CPTU profiles: An effective tool for subsurface investigation of modern alluvial and coastal plains. Sedimentology (2023).