Storm events

-A study conducted on 109 km of sandy coastline -The measurement of instantaneous shoreline retreat during the 1999 and 2010 storms. -A calculation of the parameter Lmax (retreat due to an extreme event). -Information by transects every 20m -Recommendations to improve the erosion hazard strips of the Coastal Risk Prevention Plans.

This historical work consequently aims to study the “trajectories of vulnerability” of territories and European societies confronted with
two types of hydrometeors: droughts and storm surges. The various historical examples evoked in this chapter show how much the need for
memory can constitute one of the answers for societies confronted with an increasing vulnerability, and with a greater severity of hydrometeors.

Optical dating of late Holocene storm surges from Schokland (Noordoostpolder, the Netherlands) Don van den Biggelaar (1), Sjoerd Kluiving (1,2), Roland van Balen (3,4), Cronelils Kasse (3), Simon Troelstra (3), Maarten Prins (3), Jakob Wallinga (5), and Alice Versendaal (5)

Flevoland (central Netherlands) is an area of long-term discontinuous deposition that has been reclaimed from the Zuiderzee in the 20th century. Before the reclamation, the Zuiderzee had been in a phase of enlargement, threatening inhabitants on the islands and the shores, since the Medieval Period. During this phase, a surficial clay cover was deposited on the island of Schokland (World Heritage Site: Noordoostpolder, northern Flevoland). We have studied the clay sequence in order to reconstruct the island’s flooding history during the last 1200 years. The depositional history of the youngest clay deposit on Schokland is inferred from a literature study, analyses of a digital elevation model, six coring transects, three new 14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates and laboratory analyses. The laboratory analyses include thermogravimetric analysis, grain-size end-member modelling (unmixing grain-size distributions), foraminifera, bivalves and ostracods. The geological data were...

This contribution presents an assessment at a regional (island) scale of the beach erosion due to storm events under Climate Change. The approach adopted to assess beach erosion at the island scale consisted of three modules. First, the location, dimensions and other attributes of the Cypriot beaches were recorded on the basis of widely-available satellite imagery. Secondly, sea levels and waves were modeled along the coast under different climatic scenarios and dates in the 21st century. Finally, using these projections beach retreat due to the relative mean sea level rise (RSLR) and extreme sea levels (ESLs) was estimated using ensembles of analytical and numerical cross-shore morphodynamic models, respectively. Extreme sea levels (ESLs) were projected to (a) increase by up to 60% in 2100 from their baseline (2000) levels, and (b) vary along the coast, with the highest ESLs (and corresponding waves) projected for the southern and western coasts. The mostly narrow Cypriot beaches (91% recorded maximum widths of < 50 m) showed increased exposure to erosion. In 2100, about 47% and 72% (based on the median model estimates) of the 241 unprotected Cypriot beaches will be permanently eroded, due to mean sea level rise (SLR), to 50% of their present maximum width, depending on the scenario. In addition to the long-term erosion due to SLR, severe storm erosion is projected by 2050 even under the RCP4.5 scenario; the 100-year extreme sea level event (ESL100) may overwhelm (at least temporarily) 49% of the currently unprotected Cypriot beaches without effective adaptation responses, with the most exposed beaches located along the northern coast. As the beach carrying capacity and hedonic value will be severely compromised, effective adaptation policies and technical measures will be urgently required.

Storms and tsunamis, which may seriously endanger human society, are amongst the most devastating marine catastrophes that can occur in coastal areas. Many such events are known and have been reported for the Mediterranean, a region where high-frequency occurrences of these extreme events coincides with some of the most densely populated coastal areas in the world. In a sediment core from the Mar Menor (SE Spain), we discovered eight coarse-grained layers which document marine incursions during periods of intense storm activity or tsunami events. Based on radiocarbon dating, these extreme events occurred around 5250, 4000, 3600, 3010, 2300, 1350, 650, and 80 years cal BP. No comparable events have been observed during the 20th and 21st centuries. The results indicate little likelihood of a tsunami origin for these coarse-grained layers, although historical tsunami events are recorded in this region. These periods of surge events seem to coincide with the coldest periods in Europe during the late Holocene, suggesting a control by a climatic mechanism for periods of increased storm activity. Spectral analyses performed on the sand percentage revealed four major periodicities of 1228 ± 327, 732 ± 80, 562 ± 58, and 319 ± 16 years. Amongst the wellknown proxies that have revealed a millennial-scale climate variability during the Holocene, the ice-rafted debris (IRD) indices in the North Atlantic developed by present a cyclicity of 1470 ± 500 years, which matches the 1228 ± 327-year periodicity evidenced in the Mar Menor, considering the respective uncertainties in the periodicities. Thus, an in-phase storm activity in the western Mediterranean is found with the coldest periods in Europe and with the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation. However, further investigations, such as additional coring and highresolution coastal imagery, are needed to better constrain the main cause of these multiple events.

Copulas have already proven their flexibility in rainfall modelling. Yet, their use is generally restricted to the description of bivariate dependence. Recently, vine copulas have been introduced, allowing multi-dimensional dependence structures to be described on the basis of a stage by stage mixing of 2-dimensional copulas. This paper explores the use of such vine copulas in order to incorporate all relevant dependences between the storm variables of interest. On the basis of such fitted vine copulas, an external storm structure is modelled. An internal storm structure is superimposed based on Huff curves, such that a continuous time series of rainfall is generated. The performance of the rainfall model is evaluated through a statistical comparison between an ensemble of synthetical rainfall series and the observed rainfall series and through the comparison of the annual maxima.

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the erosion at Nørlev Strand located on the Danish west coast. This location suffers from severe erosion; the result of a combined chronic, acute and, at least partially, man-induced erosion. The analysis is done by studying the average climatic conditions in the vicinity, and the effects of storms. Analysis shows an increase in the measured moderate to large wave events and consequent connection of the erosion problem to climate change. Other effects of climate change such as increase in rainfall were also considered and a surprisingly good correlation was found between coastal erosion in Nørlev and national storm records. Furthermore, a shift in mean wave direction has also been noted in the case of waves coming from the north. The significance that these changes can have in the sediment is assessed quantitatively through numerical modelling.

The relevance of fluvial systems to process nutrients and carbon is widely accepted, but their role as sinks and sources of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is still under discussion especially in non-forested and highly productive streams. In this study, we used a mass balance approach at a reach scale in a Pampean stream to elucidate the major sources of water, nutrients and DOC as well as to determine net in-stream retention efficiencies of nutrients and DOC under different hydrological conditions. We measured conductivity, conservative ions (chloride and calcium), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), nitrate (NO 3), nitrite (NO 2), ammonium (NH 4) and DOC at the end-point of a reach of Las Flores stream (site A), at two upstream tributaries (B1 and B2), and at each potential hydrological contributors to stream flow (groundwater, overland and subsurface flows, and rainfall). In addition, we monitored one storm event where we collected samples during the rising and the recession limb of the hydrograph. Stream flow originated from groundwater (≈ 50%), upstream tributaries (B1 and B2) at baseflow, whereas overland flow contributed >20% during high flows. During baseflow, groundwater provided NO 3 to stream water, while B2, which received a point input of a dairy industry, was the main source of SRP and NH 4. Conversely, SRP and NH 4 were provided by B1, overland flow and subsurface flow during high flows. Overland flow also contributed DOC during high flow periods. Mass balance estimates revealed that the reach acts as a source of DOC, SRP and NO 3 (21.4, 37.4 and 53.5 % mean net in-stream release, respectively) and a sink of NH 4 (-36.8 % mean net instream retention). Relevant in-stream processes may be nutrient uptake (as in the case of SRP and NH 4) and biotic production (DOC), as well as decomposition (SRP) and nitrification (NH 4) in this Pampean stream. Our results stress the relevance of nutrient and DOC generation processes within the channel in non-forested and highly productive streams.

Nitrate (NO 3 −) contamination of groundwater associated with agronomic activity is of major concern in many countries. Where agriculture, thin free draining soils and karst aquifers coincide, groundwater is highly vulnerable to nitrate contamination. As residence times and denitrification potential in such systems are typically low, nitrate HESSD 11, 4131-4161, 2014 Nitrate response of karst springs to high rainfall events M. Huebsch et al.

Concentrations of pharmaceutically active compounds (PACs) in freshwater systems depend on numerous factors such as land use and hydrometeorological conditions. In the Mediterranean, heavy rain events are of particular importance as they highly influence the concentration of micropollutants found in freshwater and are a source of recurrent first foul flushes due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In this study, we seek to assess the dynamics of pharmaceuticals during storm events in coastal Mediterranean rivers at a fine scale and to determine their contribution to multicontamination phenomena owing to CSOs. Our results showed that, while dissolved PACs followed the same trend as other contaminants, i.e., they increased significantly during CSOs, PACs in the total fraction did not peak yet maintained their already high concentrations for slightly longer due to their release via CSOs. Pharmaceutical concentrations for both the dissolved and the total fraction were dramatically dilut...

Offshore sand and gravel extraction for aggregates and beach nourishment is an important economic activity and has been a common practice in various countries worldwide for many years. The evolution of a sandpit, in particular its migration and rate of replenishment, depends strongly on the type of sediments involved, and on the physical and hydrodynamic characteristics of the surrounding area. In order to fully assess the associated impacts on local ecosystems and on the neighboring coastline morphology it is essential to make accurate predictions of the excavation recovery times. For this purpose it is fundamental to investigate areas where there is an adequate observational control of the evolution of the sandpit, prior and after the excavation, to properly calibrate existing numerical models with observations and fully evaluate their prediction adequacy. The present work investigates the evolution of an offshore sandpit located off Vale do Lobo, Algarve, Portugal, within a time span of four years (2006-2010), based on 4 bathymetric surveys, prior to and after the dredging operations, complemented with the analysis of wave data and numerical modeling simulations. The bathymetric data were used to evaluate the morpho-sedimentary evolution and to calculate the sediment volume changes. The results show an infill of approximately 17% of the initial exploration pit in the first 4 years, with an overall smoothing of the initial excavation bottom topography. Observations combined with modeling results demonstrate that the pit evolution depends mainly on storm events, since it is essentially during these periods that there is a significant sediment movement at the site water depth. Based on (1) the predicted number of stormy days for the forthcoming years, assuming that (2) the yearly average of such events in the past 57 years is representative, and considering (3) a decrease of the sandpit recovery rate in time, predicted by models and observations, it was possible to estimate that the Vale do Lobo sandpit recovery period is of ca. 38 years for its full, or near full, replenishment.

The Enxoé reservoir in southern Portugal has been exhibiting the highest trophic state in the country since its early years of operation. The problem has attracted water managers’ and researchers’ attention as the reservoir is the water supply for two municipalities. Extensive research was thus conducted over the last few years, including field monitoring and modelling at the plot, catchment, and reservoir scales. This study now frames all partial findings within the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to better understand the eutrophication process in the Enxoé reservoir. Agriculture and grazing were found to have a reduced role in the eutrophication of the reservoir, with annual sediment and nutrient loads being comparably smaller or similar to those reported for other Mediterranean catchments. Flash floods were the main mechanism for transporting particle elements to the reservoir, being in some cases able to carry up three times the average annual load. Howev...

Nowadays, paleoenvironmental and climatological researches focus on studying shortterm climatic changes and one of the more sensitive environments for recording those short-term climatic variations are the high sedimentation rate of coastal regions. Accordingly, 4 estuaries from the Algarve region, south of Portugal, have been cored in order to study sedimentary and climatic variations during recent times (c.a. 5000 yrs). For this purpose, we applied sampling and analytical techniques from deep-sea studies, allowing the acquirement of almost continuous data profiles, as the color data obtained with the spectrophotometer Colortron. Hand corer was used for sampling, and for each estuary three cores were collected c.a. 50 m apart, perpendicularly to the main channel of the estuary. Each sediment core had three centimeters of diameter and c.a. three meters length. The magnetic susceptibility and the color of the sediments were acquired every five centimeters, using the magneto-susceptometer SM-20 and the spectrophotometer Colortron, respectively. Sediment core surface was digitized using the Scanner Mustek 1200 A3 PRO. Sediment samples have been taken every five centimeters of the cores and freeze for subsequent major and minor elements analysis, iron oxidation state analysis, organic matter concentration analysis, grain size and mineralogy. A good reproducibility was observed for both magnetosusceptometer and color instruments. The viability of acquiring digital images from core surface with the scanner was observed in opposition to the use of photographic equipment, reducing the problems related to illumination and amplification of photographs. Some correlation between the color parameters (CIE Lab) and the magnetic brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk

Cette présentation croise plusieurs projets de recherches menés en géographie physique et en géoarchéologie permettant de comprendre l’implication d’évènements extrêmes historiques sur la transformation des paysages côtiers et sur l’évolution des sociétés humaines littorales anciennes. L’échelle temporelle considère l’évolution de ces processus physiques et sociétaux observée au cours des 7000 dernières années. Deux cas d’études situés le long de la côte vendéenne sont présentés. Un premier projet réalisé en géographie physique vise à retracer les évènements extrêmes survenus au sein de trois environnements de dépôts côtiers localisés sur l’Île d’Yeu. Plusieurs indices granulométriques et géochimiques ont permis d’extraire neuf périodes d’évolution de l’activité tempétueuse à l’échelle de l’île : 600–500, environ 1590, 2100–1950, 2850–2350, 3500–3270, 5400–5370, 6650–6510, environ 7000 et entre 7670 et 7470 cal y BP. Après avoir réalisé un croisement avec d’autres études sédimentologiques menées le long de la côte atlantique européenne, des phases tempétueuses européennes atlantiques de plus vaste échelle ont été extraites à 600–300, 1700–1100, 2900–2500, 3500–3300, 5500–5100 et 7700–7100 cal y BP, qui semblent être liées aux Bond Events, phases froides observées durant les derniers millénaires en Europe du Nord (dont le Petit Âge Glaciaire). Ces résultats n’indiquent pas que les tempêtes étaient plus intenses ou fréquentes durant les phases froides Holocènes, mais que l’activité tempétueuse a induit dans l’ensemble des conditions morphogéniques qui ont très fortement impacté les littoraux de l’île, et plus globalement de la côte atlantique européenne. Dans un second temps, nous souhaitons comprendre quelles sont les implications de ces phases d’augmentation de l’activité tempétueuse sur l’évolution des paysages littoraux et des occupations humaines anciennes, notamment via la collaboration avec des chercheurs en archéologie. Le second exemple traité est celui de la partie occidentale du marais poitevin. Cette seconde étude traite plusieurs sources de données issues de l’analyse de cinq carottes sédimentaires extraites de la lagune de la Belle-Henriette, de l’étude de 55 cartographies historiques, et de l’exhumation de vestiges archéologiques (pêcheries, empreintes de bovidés dans le bri, céramique et matériel lithique) recensés le long de la commune de la Tranche sur Mer. Le paysage de la partie occidentale du marais poitevin a été reconstruit durant les derniers millénaires, le colmatage du marais a notamment été façonné par les alluvions du Lay et la progression de plusieurs flèches sableuses le long de la côte sud-vendéenne. Cette reconstruction est ensuite croisée avec les résultats présentés au sein de la première partie de cette présentation sur les évènements extrêmes historiques obtenus à l’île d’Yeu. Le développement des flèches sableuses de la Tranche sur mer, de la pointe d’Arcay et de l’Aiguillon aurait notamment été favorisé par les conditions morphogéniques intenses observées durant les périodes tempétueuses détectées sur l’île d’Yeu (située à plusieurs dizaines de kilomètres au nord du marais poitevin). En parallèle, les travaux réalisés avec les archéologues permettant d’appréhender les modes d’occupations humaines historiques montrent que les sociétés littorales de l’âge du Bronze et du Fer, localisées sur ou à proximité des points hauts avant et durant les prémices du colmatage du marais poitevin (qui était à l’origine une baie nommée Golfe des Pictons), considéraient donc pleinement la menace de l’océan dans leurs modes d’occupation du littoral. L’emploi d’approches croisées Homme-milieu est donc indispensable pour comprendre l’évolution de nos littoraux sur le long terme. Pour continuer à comprendre les liens entre ces phénomènes physiques et humains, des premiers tests de reconstruction d’élévation régionale du niveau marin ont été réalisés, axés sur les derniers millénaires. Cependant, l’apport de données archéologiques, telles que les missions réalisées par le CREAAH en Baie de Bourgneuf et plus précisément à la pointe des Poloux, au sein duquel une occupation humaine historique datant de 4200 – 4000 BC a été exhumée à 1km au large du trait de côte actuel, pourrait permettre d’affiner la courbe vers les périodes les plus anciennes, jusqu’à l’âge du Bronze durant le milieu de l’Holocène.

The Moroccan coast is occasionally confronted with marine submersion events caused by storm surges and tsunamis. The Moroccan historical archives recorded some of these events, such as the storm surge of 2014 CE and the tsunami of 1755 CE. The latter remains the most destructive event the country has ever faced, with major human and economic losses recorded mainly between the two cities of Tangier and Safi. The privileged way to prevent any hazard related to these events is to study their past occurrences and consequences. However, historical records are often very scarce to determine their return periods and evaluate their intensities. Accordingly, the scientific community increasingly uses sedimentary archives from coastal environments, since they offer a viable alternative to historical archives. Several studies using this approach have been conducted on the Moroccan coast in recent years; however, until now, there has been no review dealing with these studies, which is the main objective of this paper. The present review shows that most of the Moroccan sites containing marine submersion deposits are located along the Atlantic coast. The Mediterranean coast remain poorly studied despite the presence of tsunami and storm surge risks. The review draws attention also to the absence of chronological data for most of the marine submersion deposits recognized up to now 2 along the Moroccan coasts, which is a major issue that prevents the determination of the return period of these events.

Nitrate (NO 3 −) contamination of groundwater associated with agronomic activity is of major concern in many countries. Where agriculture, thin free draining soils and karst aquifers coincide, groundwater is highly vulnerable to nitrate contamination. As residence times and denitrification potential in such systems are typically low, nitrate HESSD 11, 4131-4161, 2014 Nitrate response of karst springs to high rainfall events M. Huebsch et al.

The Moroccan Mediterranean coast is located in one of the most vulnerable area to extreme weather events or tsunami hazards. The objective of this research is to reconstruct the historical extreme submersion-events record using sea-induced deposits preserved in coastal lagoon. The Nador lagoon is the largest Moroccan lagoon (115 km 2) located along the Western Mediterranean which presents a high cyclogenetic character and is exposed to tsunamis from Alboran Sea. The sandy barrier which separates the lagoon from the Mediterranean Sea is marked by many overwashes, which indicate how intensely has been exposed to the adverse sea events through history. Using the UWITEC coring platform, an undisturbed MC4.5 core (1.15 m long) was successfully sampled in the studied lagoon. To identify sea extreme events, a multi-proxy approach was applied combining sedimentogical and geochemical data. The preliminary results show that the identified paleo-events are concentrated over the last 500 years. The challenge that remains now is to distinguish between the tsunami and the storm deposits.

The Moroccan Mediterranean coast is located in one of the area's most vulnerable to extreme weather events or tsunami hazards. The objective of this research is to reconstruct the historical extreme submersion-event record using sea-induced deposits preserved in coastal lagoon. The Nador lagoon is the largest Moroccan lagoon (115 km 2). It is located along the western Mediterranean, which has a high cyclogenetic character and is exposed to tsunamis from the Alboran Sea. The sandy barrier which separates the lagoon from the Mediterranean Sea is marked by much overwash, which indicate how intensely it has been exposed to the adverse sea events through history. Using the UWITEC © gravity coring platform, an undisturbed MC4.5 core (1.15 m long) was successfully sampled in the studied lagoon. To identify extreme sea events, a multi-proxy approach was applied combining sedimentological and geochemical data. Three paleoevents were identified; all of them are concentrated over the last 500 years, and the most recent event corresponds to the 1889 storm. For the others deposits, it is difficult to determine exactly their origin; however, the high frequency of storm events over the relevant period and the absence of historical tsunamis evidence is more in favor of the meteorological origin.

Prior to the maximum southward extension of the Fennoscandian ice sheet (MIS 6, ∼150 ka) the central Netherlands was part of a large delta which was inhabited by hunter-gathers. The Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts left by these early inhabitants of the central Netherlands occur in ice-pushed ridges surrounding the Gelderse Vallei area. These ridges contain pushed alluvial deposits from the rivers Rhine and Meuse. Given the occurrence of the Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts in the ice-pushed ridges surrounding the Gelderse Vallei area and the knowledge that the ice-pushed ridges continue into the subsurface of Flevoland, we hypothesize that the area of Middle Palaeolithic habitation has a northward extension, via the study area towards the mouth of the river Rhine into a proglacial lake in the current North Sea Basin. To test this hypothesis we have analysed high-quality coring data of pushed Rhine and Meuse alluvial deposits in the subsurface of Almere and correlated to the Middle Palaeolithic artefact-bearing layer exposed in quarries in the Gelderse Vallei area.

The relevance of fluvial systems to process nutrients and carbon is widely accepted, but their role as sinks and sources of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is still under discussion especially in non-forested and highly productive streams. In this study, we used a mass balance approach at a reach scale in a Pampean stream to elucidate the major sources of water, nutrients and DOC as well as to determine net in-stream retention efficiencies of nutrients and DOC under different hydrological conditions. We measured conductivity, conservative ions (chloride and calcium), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), nitrate (NO 3), nitrite (NO 2), ammonium (NH 4) and DOC at the end-point of a reach of Las Flores stream (site A), at two upstream tributaries (B1 and B2), and at each potential hydrological contributors to stream flow (groundwater, overland and subsurface flows, and rainfall). In addition, we monitored one storm event where we collected samples during the rising and the recession limb of the hydrograph. Stream flow originated from groundwater (≈ 50%), upstream tributaries (B1 and B2) at baseflow, whereas overland flow contributed >20% during high flows. During baseflow, groundwater provided NO 3 to stream water, while B2, which received a point input of a dairy industry, was the main source of SRP and NH 4. Conversely, SRP and NH 4 were provided by B1, overland flow and subsurface flow during high flows. Overland flow also contributed DOC during high flow periods. Mass balance estimates revealed that the reach acts as a source of DOC, SRP and NO 3 (21.4, 37.4 and 53.5 % mean net in-stream release, respectively) and a sink of NH 4 (-36.8 % mean net instream retention). Relevant in-stream processes may be nutrient uptake (as in the case of SRP and NH 4) and biotic production (DOC), as well as decomposition (SRP) and nitrification (NH 4) in this Pampean stream. Our results stress the relevance of nutrient and DOC generation processes within the channel in non-forested and highly productive streams.

Flevoland (central Netherlands) is an area of long-term discontinuous deposition that has been reclaimed from the Zuiderzee in the 20th century. Before the reclamation, the Zuiderzee had been in a phase of enlargement, threatening inhabitants on the islands and the shores, since the Medieval Period. During this phase, a surficial clay cover was deposited on the island of Schokland (World Heritage Site: Noordoostpolder, northern Flevoland). We have studied the clay sequence in order to reconstruct the island’s flooding history during the last 1200 years. The depositional history of the youngest clay deposit on Schokland is inferred from a literature study, analyses of a digital elevation model, six coring transects, three new 14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates and laboratory analyses. The laboratory analyses include thermogravimetric analysis, grain-size end-member modelling (unmixing grain-size distributions), foraminifera, bivalves and ostracods. The geological data were...

The Moroccan coast is occasionally confronted with marine submersion events caused by storm surges and tsunamis. The Moroccan historical archives recorded some of these events, such as the storm surge of 2014 CE and the tsunami of 1755 CE. The latter remains the most destructive event the country has ever faced, with major human and economic losses recorded mainly between the two cities of Tangier and Safi. The privileged way to prevent any hazard related to these events is to study their past occurrences and consequences. However, historical records are often very scarce to determine their return periods and evaluate their intensities. Accordingly, the scientific community increasingly uses sedimentary archives from coastal environments, since they offer a viable alternative to historical archives. Several studies using this approach have been conducted on the Moroccan coast in recent years; however, until now, there has been no review dealing with these studies, which is the main ...

Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) has allowed for tracking of individual clasts implanted with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags through sedimentary systems, providing recovery rates much higher than older sediment tagging methods such as painted or magnetic clasts. However, preparation of natural clasts for PIT tag implantation has been time-consuming and dangerous with rates of catastrophic failure of clasts of ∼66% or more. Moreover, failure rates increase as clast size decreases. The authors present an improved methodology that provides nearly 100% success rates and allows for drilling of clasts down to 23 mm along the intermediate diameter. The gripping and binding device (GABI) prevents clasts from rotating and is effective when used in conjunction with the rhythmically applied pressure drilling technique. GABI is simple and inexpensive to build and can be used in a field setting. The improved safety and effectiveness of the method will allow for greater application of RFID tracking of natural sediment. Additionally, the ability to drill smaller clasts opens up new possibilities for research in sediment transport.

The Moroccan coast is occasionally confronted with marine submersion events caused by storm surges and tsunamis. The Moroccan historical archives recorded some of these events, such as the storm surge of 2014 CE and the tsunami of 1755 CE. The latter remains the most destructive event the country has ever faced, with major human and economic losses recorded mainly between the two cities of Tangier and Safi. The privileged way to prevent any hazard related to these events is to study their past occurrences and consequences. However, historical records are often very scarce to determine their return periods and evaluate their intensities. Accordingly, the scientific community increasingly uses sedimentary archives from coastal environments, since they offer a viable alternative to historical archives. Several studies using this approach have been conducted on the Moroccan coast in recent years; however, until now, there has been no review dealing with these studies, which is the main ...

In Medieval times the city of Vlaardingen (the Netherlands) was strategically located on the confluence of three rivers, the Meuse, the Merwede and the Vlaarding. A church of early 8th century was already located here. In a short period of time Vlaardingen developed into an international trading place, the most important place in the former county of Holland. Starting from the 11th century the river Meuse threatened to flood the settlement. These floods have been registered in the archives of the fluvisol and were recognised in a multidisciplinary sedimentary analysis of these archives. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; To secure the future of this vulnerable soil archive currently an extensive interdisciplinary research (76 mechanical drill holes, grain size analysis (GSA), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), archaeological remains, soil analysis, dating methods, micromorphology, and microfauna has started in 2011 to gain knowledge on the sedimentological and pedological subsurface of the mound ...

To date, Holocene palaeoecological signatures on the Northwestern coast of France have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, environmental changes related to both climate processes and human disturbances were reconstructed over the last 7000 cal. yr BP, based on pollen and chironomid assemblages from four coastal cores retrieved in Western Brittany (Porsmilin beach, NW France). Pollen and chironomid records show an environmental response to both millennial- and centennial-scale climate changes. During the mid-Holocene (until around 4200 cal. yr BP), when human impact was low, Porsmilin’s landscape was characterized by a mixed oak forest dominated by Corylus trees. Comparison of our data with other palynological data from the NW French Atlantic coast shows that this dominance may be related to more humid conditions prevailing at Porsmilin. Furthermore, over the mid-Holocene, Corylus and Quercus patterns appear anti-correlated, with Quercus declines appearing synchronous wi...

Escherichia coli isolates ( n = 300) collected from six sites in subtropical Brisbane, Australia, prior to and after storm events were tested for the presence of 11 virulence genes (VGs) specific to diarrheagenic pathotypes. The presence of eaeA , stx 1 , stx 2 , and ehxA genes specific for the enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) pathotype was detected in 56%, 6%, 10%, and 13% of isolates, respectively. The VGs astA (69%) and aggR (29%), carried by enteroaggregative (EAEC) pathotypes, were frequently detected in E. coli isolates. The enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) gene bfp was detected in 24% of isolates. In addition, enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) VG ipaH was also detected in 14% of isolates. During dry periods, isolates belonging to the EAEC pathotype were most commonly detected (23%), followed by EHEC (11%) and EPEC (11%). Conversely, a more uniform prevalence of pathotypes, EPEC (14%), EAEC (12%), EIEC (10%), EHEC (7%), and ETEC (7%), was observed after the storm events. The result...

The Moroccan coast is occasionally confronted with marine submersion events caused by storm surges and tsunamis. The Moroccan historical archives recorded some of these events, such as the storm surge of 2014 CE and the tsunami of 1755 CE. The latter remains the most destructive event the country has ever faced, with major human and economic losses recorded mainly between the two cities of Tangier and Safi. The privileged way to prevent any hazard related to these events is to study their past occurrences and consequences. However, historical records are often very scarce to determine their return periods and evaluate their intensities. Accordingly, the scientific community increasingly uses sedimentary archives from coastal environments, since they offer a viable alternative to historical archives. Several studies using this approach have been conducted on the Moroccan coast in recent years; however, until now, there has been no review dealing with these studies, which is the main ...

Prior to the maximum southward extension of the Fennoscandian ice sheet (MIS 6, ∼150 ka) the central Netherlands was part of a large delta which was inhabited by hunter-gathers. The Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts left by these early inhabitants of the central Netherlands occur in ice-pushed ridges surrounding the Gelderse Vallei area. These ridges contain pushed alluvial deposits from the rivers Rhine and Meuse. Given the occurrence of the Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts in the ice-pushed ridges surrounding the Gelderse Vallei area and the knowledge that the ice-pushed ridges continue into the subsurface of Flevoland, we hypothesize that the area of Middle Palaeolithic habitation has a northward extension, via the study area towards the mouth of the river Rhine into a proglacial lake in the current North Sea Basin. To test this hypothesis we have analysed high-quality coring data of pushed Rhine and Meuse alluvial deposits in the subsurface of Almere and correlated to the Middle Palaeolithic artefact-bearing layer exposed in quarries in the Gelderse Vallei area.

Flevoland (central Netherlands) is an area of long-term discontinuous deposition that has been reclaimed from the Zuiderzee in the 20th century. Before the reclamation, the Zuiderzee had been in a phase of enlargement, threatening inhabitants on the islands and the shores, since the Medieval Period. During this phase, a surficial clay cover was deposited on the island of Schokland (World Heritage Site: Noordoostpolder, northern Flevoland). We have studied the clay sequence in order to reconstruct the island’s flooding history during the last 1200 years. The depositional history of the youngest clay deposit on Schokland is inferred from a literature study, analyses of a digital elevation model, six coring transects, three new 14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates and laboratory analyses. The laboratory analyses include thermogravimetric analysis, grain-size end-member modelling (unmixing grain-size distributions), foraminifera, bivalves and ostracods. The geological data were...

Prior to the maximum southward extension of the Fennoscandian ice sheet (MIS 6, ∼150 ka) the central Netherlands was part of a large delta which was inhabited by hunter-gathers. The Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts left by these early inhabitants of the central Netherlands occur in ice-pushed ridges surrounding the Gelderse Vallei area. These ridges contain pushed alluvial deposits from the rivers Rhine and Meuse. Given the occurrence of the Middle Palaeolithic flint artefacts in the ice-pushed ridges surrounding the Gelderse Vallei area and the knowledge that the ice-pushed ridges continue into the subsurface of Flevoland, we hypothesize that the area of Middle Palaeolithic habitation has a northward extension, via the study area towards the mouth of the river Rhine into a proglacial lake in the current North Sea Basin. To test this hypothesis we have analysed high-quality coring data of pushed Rhine and Meuse alluvial deposits in the subsurface of Almere and correlated to the Middle Palaeolithic artefact-bearing layer exposed in quarries in the Gelderse Vallei area.

Nitrate (NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sub&gt;-&lt;/sub&gt;) contamination of groundwater associated with agronomic activity is of major concern in many countries. Where agriculture, thin free draining soils and karst aquifers coincide, groundwater is highly vulnerable to nitrate contamination. As residence times and denitrification potential in such systems are typically low, nitrate can discharge to surface waters unabated. However, such systems also react quickest to agricultural management changes that aim to improve water quality. In response to storm events, nitrate concentrations can alter significantly, i.e., rapidly decreasing or increasing concentrations. The current study examines the response of a specific karst spring situated on a grassland farm in south Ireland to rainfall events utilising high-resolution nitrate and discharge data together with on-farm borehole groundwater fluctuation data. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to formulate a scientific hypot...

Boulder transport is an area of growing interest to coastal scientists as a means of improving our understanding of the complex interactions between extreme wave activity and the evolution of rocky coasts. However, our knowledge of the response of intertidal boulder deposits to contemporary storm events remains limited due to a lack of quantifiable fieldbased evidence.We address this by presenting a methodology incorporating Radio Frequency Intertidal boulder transport: a proposed methodology adopting Radio 1 Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to quantify storm induced boulder 2 mobility.

Nitrate (NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sub&gt;-&lt;/sub&gt;) contamination of groundwater associated with agronomic activity is of major concern in many countries. Where agriculture, thin free draining soils and karst aquifers coincide, groundwater is highly vulnerable to nitrate contamination. As residence times and denitrification potential in such systems are typically low, nitrate can discharge to surface waters unabated. However, such systems also react quickest to agricultural management changes that aim to improve water quality. In response to storm events, nitrate concentrations can alter significantly, i.e., rapidly decreasing or increasing concentrations. The current study examines the response of a specific karst spring situated on a grassland farm in south Ireland to rainfall events utilising high-resolution nitrate and discharge data together with on-farm borehole groundwater fluctuation data. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to formulate a scientific hypot...

Amongst the most devastating marine catastrophes that can occur in coastal areas, are storms and tsunamis, which may seriously endanger human society. Many such events are known and have been reported for the Mediterranean, a region where high-frequency occurrences of these extreme events coincides with some of the most densely populated coastal areas in the world. In a sediment core from Mar Menor Lagoon (SE Spain), we discovered eight coarse grained layers which document marine incursions during periods of intense storm activity or tsunami events. Based on radiocarbon dating, these extreme events occurred around 5250, 4000, 3600, 3010, 2300, 1350, 650 and 80 years cal B.P.. No comparable events have been observed during the 20th and 21th centuries. The results indicate little likehood of a tsunami origin for these coarse grained layers, although historical tsunami events are recorded in this region. These periods of surge events seem to coincide with the coldest periods in Europe ...

A water reclamation plant (WRP) needs to be resilient to successfully operate through different kinds of perturbations. Perturbations such as storm events, especially long-term successive storm flows, can adversely affect operations. A better understanding of these effects can provide benefits for plant operation, in terms of effluent quality and energy efficiency. However, the concept of resilience for a WRP has not been widely studied, and we are not aware of any studies specifically related to storm flows. In this work we applied measures of resistance and recovery time to quantify resilience, and used a WRP simulation model to investigate how different storm flow characteristics (flowrate and duration) and the amount of aeration influence resilience. Not surprisingly, increasing storm flowrate leads to decreasing resilience. Although the aeration rate plays an important role in determining resilience, there is an aeration threshold (6 m(3)/s for our WRP model); higher aeration r...

Vibrio spp. are ubiquitous members of aquatic microbial food webs that can be pathogenic to humans and a range of other organisms. Previously published predictive models for Vibrio spp. concentrations in estuarine and coastal waters, based only on salinity and temperature, are 70 to 75% accurate during 'normal' conditions (e.g. not during storms or drought). We have conducted a preliminary comparison of the output from this type of model to the natural concentrations of both total Vibrio spp. and the potentially pathogenic Vibrio vulnificus when measured during tropical storms. Water samples were collected in situ from a deployed platform in the Neuse River Estuary (NRE), North Carolina, USA, during 2 storm events: Hurricane Ophelia and Tropical Storm Ernesto. Total Vibrio spp. concentrations were measured using culture-based methods and V. vulnificus levels were determined using a newly developed, rapid quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) assay. Results were analyzed in relation to environmental parameters and to concentrations of the fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli (EC) and Enterococcus spp. (ENT). Total concentrations of Vibrio spp. in the NRE were often orders of magnitude higher than those predicted by a previously published model. These large deviations from model predictions may indicate contributions from storm forcing (e.g. resuspension, surges) that are missing from the calm weather observations used to build these models.

Bones, teeth and invisible tracers. The current state of human bioarchaeological isotope geochemical research in The Netherlands Lisette M. Kootker & Gareth R. Davies On the 'Quartzite Palaeolithic' of the Naarder Eng (Huizen, the Netherlands). Relevance of a quartzite Neolithic axe find Marco Langbroek Flooded, flattened and rebuilt archaeological sites. The case of strategic inundations during the Eighty Year's War and how the archaeology developed after reclamation of the landscape Adriaan M.J. de Kraker Many shades of brown. The condition and colour of Dutch archaeological textiles from dryland sandy soils, bogs, and the sea Ineke Joosten & Maarten R. van Bommel Carbon and nitrogen isotopic variation in bone collagen within the human skeleton

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimization of retention ponds for energy production by a low-head hydropower converter towards smart water grids and new flood adaptation solutions. Flood drainage systems are infrastructures essential in urban areas to control floods, which include retention ponds that can be used as innovative solutions adapted to climate changes and smart water grids to produce energy in a near future and to improve the drainage system elasticity. A catchment-scale water/energy management model is used for designing solutions by defining the characteristics of the urban area and the hydropower converters. The study area is based on Alcântara zone, in a district of Lisbon, a specific downtown zone close to the Tagus river, which has the backwater sea tidal influence. A solution based on the catchment of this area for extreme values of runoff induced by a significant climate changes event in these last years is analysed and then optimized in terms of energy production for different characteristic parameters. Finally, results are shown and discussed to reveal the most suitable solutions.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze different storage pond configurations used to manage the water inflow from storm events and to establish a methodology to optimize the energy production using this water. The case study area is a catchment based on the Alcântara zone, in Lisbon, Portugal. This is an urban area, which faces severe occurrences of storm events. These events are caused by a non-efficient drainage system, and the proximity of the river and the sea, which cannot handle large storm event inflows. Due to climate change effects, the storm rainfall hyetographs are modified and runoff in this urban area has increased for the last decades causing major inundations. The Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) MIKE BASIN (MB) and Bentley PondPack software are used to define solutions for this case study by embodying some of the Alcântara's catchment characteristics. Different relevant components used to create the models are presented. In order to model completely the studied area, several physical elements such as reservoirs or hydropower plants are included. The Nedbør-Afstrømnings-Model (NAM model) is also presented. It is a rainfall-runoff simulator, included in DHI MB, which can create runoff time series from rainfall time series. The methodologies used to optimize energy production in each of case studies developed are detailed. Results are presented showing that some ponds configurations permit to produce more energy than others and the production of energy can be maximized by optimizing the hydropower production target demand.

The history of the Amstel and Vecht rivers in the central part of the Netherlands during the Holocene has been debated for a considerable time (Bos et al., 2009; De Bont, 1994, 2000, 2008; De Bont & Kleij, 2012; De Gans, 2011; De Gans & Bunnik, 2011, 2012). Many publications in different disciplines have made their contribution to solve issues such as initiation and cessation of river flow, different and opposing river flow directions, and different chronologies.

have been distinguished in TAH17-1 core (Fig. 5). These layers present at least one of the following characteristics: a well-defined sandy layer, interbedded in fine estuarine sediments; an enrichment in Ca and Zr indicating a marine source of the sediment, and depletion in terrigenous elements (Rb); the presence of sedimentation structures such as rip-up clasts and/or sediment discontinuity&quot;

Dans le cadre des travaux menes par l&#39;OR2C sur l&#39;histoire des risques en Pays-de-la-Loire, le laboratoire LETG mene des analyses sedimentologiques pour detecter les tempetes passees. L&#39;une d&#39;entre elles, datee du 16 Novembre 1940, a laisse une marque importante dans les Traicts du Croisic ou des prelevements de terrain ont ete effectues. La concomitance entre parametres meteorologiques et oceanologiques intenses a provoque des submersions marines dans les zones basses cotieres, expliquant les depots marins detectes dans la lagune. Les impacts socio-economiques revelent que cet evenement a egalement marque les populations littorales de l&#39;epoque.

The Enxoé reservoir in southern Portugal has been exhibiting the highest trophic state in the country since its early years of operation. The problem has attracted water managers’ and researchers’ attention as the reservoir is the water supply for two municipalities. Extensive research was thus conducted over the last few years, including field monitoring and modelling at the plot, catchment, and reservoir scales. This study now frames all partial findings within the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to better understand the eutrophication process in the Enxoé reservoir. Agriculture and grazing were found to have a reduced role in the eutrophication of the reservoir, with annual sediment and nutrient loads being comparably smaller or similar to those reported for other Mediterranean catchments. Flash floods were the main mechanism for transporting particle elements to the reservoir, being in some cases able to carry up three times the average annual load. Howev...

The Enxoé reservoir in southern Portugal has been exhibiting the highest trophic state in the country since its early years of operation. The problem has attracted water managers’ and researchers’ attention as the reservoir is the water supply for two municipalities. Extensive research was thus conducted over the last few years, including field monitoring and modelling at the plot, catchment, and reservoir scales. This study now frames all partial findings within the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to better understand the eutrophication process in the Enxoé reservoir. Agriculture and grazing were found to have a reduced role in the eutrophication of the reservoir, with annual sediment and nutrient loads being comparably smaller or similar to those reported for other Mediterranean catchments. Flash floods were the main mechanism for transporting particle elements to the reservoir, being in some cases able to carry up three times the average annual load. Howev...