Collaborative Research: Understanding deltas through the lens of their channel networks

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Sediment deposition at the coastline creates channels that spread out into a network and form a river delta. Deltas are home to large populations, valuable ports, and natural resources, but they are threatened by sea level rise, upstream dam development, and resource exploration. Sensitivity to these threats depends on the delta channels that move water and sediment, yet it is not clear what controls the arrangement of these channels. This research will use network analysis of numerically simulated and field deltas to test how ocean waves, tides, and floods influence the configuration of delta channels and their response to environmental change. The team will engage graduate students through summer workshops and train them in cross-disciplinary methods to address problems in science, industry, and policy-related fields. Delta channel networks exhibit complex patterns that are key for understanding delta self-maintenance and resilience to external perturbations. The proposed research aims to study deltas through the lens of their delta channel networks via a three-pronged approach based on graph-theory, numerical modeling, and the analysis of more than 60 field deltas of diverse hydroclimatic environments and levels of anthropogenic influence. The ultimate goal is to advance our understanding of delta morphodynamics and response to change by: (1) relating network properties to the underlying physical processes, (2) proposing a delta classification framework, and (3) exploring delta self-organization in terms of optimality principles and interpreting possible deviations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.