Articles | Volume 382
https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-149-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-149-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Late Holocene differential subsidence and relative sea level rise in the Tabasco Delta, Mexico
Kees Nooren
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department op Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Kim M. Cohen
Department op Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Deltares Research Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Jaap H. Nienhuis
Department op Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Wim Z. Hoek
Department op Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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We demonstrate that the world's largest beach-ridge plain in southern Mexico was formed under an ample long-term fluvial sediment supply. The beach-ridge elevation is strongly influenced by aeolian accretion during the time when the ridge is located next to the beach. The beach-ridge elevation is negatively correlated with the progradation rate, which we relate to the variability in sediment supply to the coastal zone, reflecting decadal-scale precipitation changes within the river catchment.
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Short summary
Coastal subsidence owing to compaction of Holocene strata affects large delta plains such as the Tabasco delta in southern Mexico (Gulf coast). Collected field-data allows for quantification of differential subsidence over several time windows and reconstruction of relative sea-level rise back to 5000 years ago. Observed differential subsidence of 1–1.5 m is mainly caused by compaction of buried strata in response to the accumulating overburden of the prograding beach-ridge complex.
Coastal subsidence owing to compaction of Holocene strata affects large delta plains such as the...