1
Supplementary material
2
Table 1: Natural examples, including data sources and extracted characteristics
Wave source
Coco
WAVEWATCH III®
NASA Landsat
version 2.22 [Tolman, 2009]
NWW3 Global Hindcast
reanalysis from Aug 1999 to
Feb 2011
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
Canicio and Ibanez
2004]
[1999]
-0.5
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
2004]
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
2004]
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
2004]
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
2004]
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
2004]
WAVEWATCH III®
version 2.22 [Tolman,
2009]NWW3 Global
Hindcast reanalysis from
Aug 1999 to Feb 2011
Giosan [2007]
Stanley and Warne
[1998]
Stanley and Warne
[1998]
NASA Landsat
0.0
1.1
-0.4
0.66
-0.4
1
Vella et al. [2005]
-0.3
2
Pranzini [2001]
0.63
0.3
NASA Landsat
0.63
0.4
Giosan [2007]
-0.35 0.5
Pranzini [2001]
MedAtlas [Gaillard et al.,
2004]
Pranzini [2001]
Simeoni et al. [2007]
0.9
-0.2
Ebro (1kA bp, La
Banya Lobe)
Nile (Rosetta Lobe)
Nile (Damietta
Lobe)
Nestos
Rhone (0.3kA bp,
Bras de Fer Lobe)
Ombrone (0.1kA
bp)
Sao Francisco
Danube (St. George
Lobe)
Arno
Po (di Goro Lobe)
Geometry source
3
4
Γ
Delta
Table 2: Delta Simulation Parameters
Symbol
Qr
Is
Isf
Description
Fluvial sediment input (kgs-1)
Shelf Slope
Shoreface Slope
Values
150, 200
0.001
0.01
Aspect R
(height/width)
(see Fig. 4b and 4c)
2.5
-0.45 1.6
0.16
6
Dsf
A
U
H
T
Shoreface Depth (m)
Proportion waves approaching from
left
Proportion unstable waves
Wave height (m)
Wave period (s)
8
0.5, 0.55…, 0.9
0.0, 0.05…, 0.4
1
5
5
6
7
8
9
Figure S1: Shoreline configuration (left column), net alongshore sediment transport (Qs, middle
10
column, sediment transport is positive to the right) and normalized shoreline diffusivity (Γ, right
11
column) for the example model run displayed in Figure 1. Inset roses display the angular
12
distribution of incoming wave energy. Abandonment and spit formation starts at T=0y.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
References
Canicio, A., and C. Ibanez (1999), The Holocene Evolution of the Ebro Delta Catalonia, Spain, Acta
Geographica Sinica, 54(5), 462-469.
Gaillard, P., P. Ravazzola, C. Kontolios, C. Arrivet, G. Athanassoulis, C. Stefanakos, T. Gerostathis, L.
Cavaleri, L. Bertotti, and M. Sclavo (2004), Wind and Wave Atlas of the Mediterranean Sea, Western
European Arnament Organization Research Cell, Athens, Greece.
Giosan, L. (2007), Morphodynamic Feedbacks on Deltaic Coasts: Lessons from the Wave-Dominated
Danube Delta, in Coastal Sediments '07, edited by N. C. Kraus and J. D. Rosati, pp. 828-841, New
Orleans, LA doi: 10.1061/40926(239)63.
Pranzini, E. (2001), Updrift river mouth migration on cuspate deltas: two examples from the coast of
Tuscany (Italy), Geomorphology, 38(1-2), 125-132 doi: 10.1016/S0169-555X(00)00076-3.
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
Simeoni, U., G. Fontolan, U. Tessari, and C. Corbau (2007), Domains of spit evolution in the Goro area,
Po Delta, Italy, Geomorphology, 86(3–4), 332-348, doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.09.006.
Stanley, D. J., and A. G. Warne (1998), Nile Delta in Its Destruction Phase, Journal of Coastal Research,
14(3), 795-825.
Tolman, H. (2009), User manual and system documentation of WAVEWATCH III TM version 3.14Rep.,
194 pp, NOAA/NWS/NCEP/MMAB.
Vella, C., T. J. Fleury, G. Raccasi, M. Provansal, F. Sabatier, and M. Bourcier (2005), Evolution of the
Rhone delta plain in the Holocene, Marine Geology, 222, 235-265 doi:
10.1016/J.Margeo.2005.06.028.