Created by: Sara PolancoMichael BlumTristan SallesBruce C FrederickRebecca FarringtonXuesong DingBen MatherClaire A. MallardLouis-Noel Moresi
Two-thirds of the world's most populated cities are situated close to deltas. We use computer simulations to understand how deltas sink or rise in response to climate-driven sea level changes that operate from thousands to millions of years. Our research shows that because of the interaction between the outer layers of the Earth, sediment transport, and sea level changes deltas develop a self-regulated mechanism that modifies the space they need to gain or lose land.
The animation shows the surface and stratigraphic evolution of our simulated continental-scale deltas. We let each simulation initialize and run for 2 Myr without any sea-level fluctuations so that the delta can reach dynamic equilibrium without any disturbances in base level, then impose climate-forced sea-level changes.
Model submitted by Sara Polanco on May 24, 2024.